Beautiful Unwanted Bond
by Watershatteredfireball
Summary: (Sonic belongs to Sega) After a strange occurrence years ago, Sonic the werehog is sealed within a cursed stone. Sally unknowingly releases part of him. Curse half uplifted, Sonic can only touch objects within the stone's range and could only be seen by Sally. Only his touch or her choice could undo the spell. All the while Shadow and Amy worry about her. Based slightly on Inuyasha
1. Chapter 1

The water was flowing in the river in an unbroken tune. Nothing could disturb it. In the far distance, a water droplet trickled off a long leaf and ripped the water. Every time the water smoothed out again, another would follow. Sun rays were breaking through the semi-grey clouds and gave a strange feel to the mysterious dark shadows made by the tall firs. The river that was ever flowing led to a small lake cloaked in mist. It was so still there that all appeared dead to the world.

The only sign of life was a lone toad croaking under a half decayed log. Thunder sounded in the sky and lightening shortly lit the surroundings. As the flash abandoned the scenery, something stepped in the pond and made water splatter everywhere. More splashing followed. "Don't let this one escape. He is to be caught like the others," carried through the once silent bog. Bows and arrows were fired but that something moved faster than the shots fired. The hunters looked about. The creature had to be somewhere. The gem in their leader's hand was proof of that.

The tree branch above them swayed and cause water drops to fall down a young man's back. He screamed in terror when the cold liquid touched his warm skin. It made the thin hairs on his body poke up as he turned back and forth, panicked out of his wits. Another man at his side quietly but sternly warned: "Get a hold of yourself. That thing is out here someplace and all that you do is yell like a girl?"

The man straightened himself out and stiffly held his weapon. It would occasionally shake but that was because of the circumstances. Another branch moved and the frighten man passed out. The strict man next to him sighed. His eyes wandered amongst the trees but there was no sign of anything. He took two steps back to get a better view of the trees but his foot stepped on something soft and firm. It was definitely not mud or stone. It did not even feel anything like the plant growth there. He lifted his foot to see something skin colored beneath. In shock, he immediately crouched down for a better look. He raised his head to ask someone to come and look but no one stood there. He called out their names but none answered.

Sweat beaded down his forehead but his hand kept it from showing. Wiping it clean, he stood alone alongside the unconscious man at his feet. When the branch above him moved, he aimed up and fired an arrow. Upon contact with the tree's tough bark, it sunk into its coarse surface like butter. The mist showered several water droplets on the arrow lodged in the trunk. Another arrow was made ready and the man fired it at random space in the woods. As it flew through the atmosphere to meet another tree, he reached for another. His hand tried to grasp for an arrow but air was the only thing grabbed. His eyes doubled in size and his breathing halted for a moment.

A branch snapped followed by a paused. _The monster_ he thought, terror stricken. Swift movements coursed through the trees, leading to him. It landed on him and made the hunter fall on his back. Something must be done to stop it once and for all. Something that was transformed into a horrendous beast should not be allowed to roam free and wild. It was now or never.

The man held out the gem that guided him to the werehog and its light darted from its blue glassy surface. Shielding his vision with his thick hairy arms, he growled louder. The man yelled, "Be gone beast. Never again set foot on the earth's soil until my blood so desires." One last yell roared through the forest until all fell silent. Vanished like a shadow under a lamp, the monster no longer sat on the armed man. Shaky from the vicious encounter, he sat up holding the glowing gem. The world did not deserve to have that thing roaming free. Glancing left and right, he found a boulder. It was ideal to hide it there. Moving it from its position, it yielded to his pushes. Looking at the cursed rock at the size of a marble, he clutched onto it and held it above the mushy soil. It fell into the soft soil and satisfied with how the ground pulled it in like quick sand he pulled the rock over top.


	2. Chapter 2

The swamp lingered there for two full centuries, undisturbed but within all those years, cities grew. A young girl named Amy lived in there for two years. Recently she started dating a young man named Shadow and moved into his apartment so then paying for rent would be easier. She would work for hours at her bakery and Shadow would work at GUN. Being a new agent, his pay was not high enough to pay for anything extremely fancy but with help from Amy's income, they were able to afford something decent.

Just as every other morning, she opened her bakery and proceeded to create more delicious pastries. The bell hanging above the door rang and made her pink ears twitch. She turned around and smiled at the newcomer. A young female squirrel stood at the door, trying to keep a smile. It was a bit unconfident but she did not stop trying to appear pleasant. She wore nothing too fancy. It was only long sleeve pale blue sweater with blue jeans. Her hair was red with golden highlights and her eyes were deep-ocean blue. She slowly looked at Amy and said, "Am I early?"

The pink hedgehog shook her head and said, "Nope, you're on time. Come in," Amy ran to the counter to lift the flat piece that was blocking access to the kitchen. She urged the young woman to enter and closed the entrance. She followed Amy to where two cherry pies were baking in the oven.

Everything was neatly organized. One would never guess that Amy can get crazy with her mallet and destroy whatever annoyed her. She handed the girl an apron with a name tag attached to it, "Here is your new uniform. I will guide you step by step on how to cook the hard stuff and how to deal with customers." The girl slid the apron over her head tied it on. Her hand moved across the engraved name, _Sally_ hoping that everything would run smoothly. Ever since her parents divorced, she had to live duel lives and try to hold onto at least one part-time job. When Amy was told about her predicament, she offered to give her a job whenever she visited her mom.

With an offer like that, how could she turn it down? Amy excitingly motioned her to come and showed her what she was doing with the cookie dough. The recipe was for chocolate chip cookies with a bit of Amy's special tweaking. She added her secret ingredient and showed Sally how to mix in the right amount. Hearing the bell, she told Sally to come with her. Shadow was the first customer. By the time she came in, he was eyeing the small cakes in the glass.

She sweetly said, "Is there something I could get you?" A quick smirk crossed his face, "I have no idea. How about a couple free samples?" A laugh escaped her and she said, "You know I don't give those." He leaned closer and said, "How about something sweet from you then?" "Like what?" her face looked lost and her head tilted at him. The moment her head tilted he gave her a kiss on the lips. Her face became dopey and looked like heaven was in the air. So dreamy was her face that she ignored the bell ring.

She sighed, oblivious to the man who said, "Hey, Amy can I have a coffee?" He had to repeat his sentence twice before her eyes blinked and brought her mind somewhat down to earth. She sleepily asked, "Yes?" Annoyed the man said, "Coffee, lady. I have asked you over three times. What kind of service are you running here, eh?" Jumping onto her feet because the angered man's voice startled her, Amy headed for the coffee maker.

The man was tapped on the shoulder and he turned around to come face-to-face with the ultimate life form. Shadow glared down at the man and said, "Your coffee is on its way. If I catch you talking to her that way again I swear I will pull out your in—" before he became too gory with his wording Amy plopped a paper cup on the counter. She slammed her hand on the small bell, "Your coffee is right here sir." The man, glaring at Shadow and at Amy, reached into his pocket and pulled out the coinage. Plopping it on the counter, he snatched the cup and was proceeding to the door before Amy could finish counting. Seeing how much of a jerk the man was being, Shadow jumped in front of him and said, "Stay where you are until she is done." "I paid the right amount. It's all right there." The black hedgehog brushed him off, "Whatever. I will believe it when I see it." Amy called out, "Excuse me sir, but it looks like you are short a dollar."

Shadow crossed his arms at the man, "All there huh?" Reaching into his pocket, the man quickly took out another looney and placed it in front of Amy. She awkwardly smiled at her boyfriend and took the money. The ultimate life form smirked triumphantly as the man left. He then noticed Amy's expression and said, "Not my fault the guy was a jerk. Are you sure that you do not want me to hang out here longer?" She shrugged, "It's up to you but don't you need to work today?" He waved his hand, "I can take the day off." Her smile grew and a beautiful glow was on her face, "Okay then come inside the kitchen." Looking behind her, she remembered that she told Sally to come with her.

Shadow glanced at the girl behind Amy and said, "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?" Her pink fur stood up and she turned to look back at Shadow. She rubbed the back of her head, "Oh yeah. Shadow this is Sally Acorn. She is my new hired help who will only come in whenever she is visiting her mom. Sally, this is my boyfriend Shadow. He is a little bit rough around the edges but you will find that he is a real marshmallow." With Shadow growling at being called marshmallow, Amy kissed his nose. The growl turned into an annoyed half smile and his red eyes briefly glanced at her.

Holding her hands together, Amy turned to the hired help and said with a wink, "Now let's all go into the kitchen and work on the basics." Sally nodded, "Um right, of course." Shadow opened the door to the kitchen and waited for both of them to enter. When he realised he was the last one to enter, he came in and allowed the door to swing closed.

Amy crouched to the floor and opened the bottom cupboard door. Behind the door were several flat books. She fingered through each cooking book until she bumped something that would be of great help. When the right page was turned, the book was propped on the counter against the wall. Looking at Shadow, she said, "Okay, Shadow, seeing how you want to help today, you could help me decorate this big cake." She turned to Sally, who was standing and waiting for instructions, "And Sally, you could finish those tarts over there."

"Sure," the squirrel quickly nodded as though her life was on the line.

The pink girl smiled and said with her trademark wink, "Don't worry, Sally. I'm not worried if your first time here is a flop. You are still learning. Give yourself time to get used to everything." Sally tried to smile as well as she went to work on the deserts. Shadow immediately began to help icing the cake and was sneaking occasional samples behind Amy's back.

When Amy turned around, she saw him in the middle of snacking on icing. Hands on hips, she said, "Ah ha!" her finger was pointed directly at him and he turned his head to her. Most people would shake in fear of being caught by the mallet swinging Rose girl but unlike most people, Shadow has no fear of death. An evil grin appeared on his face as he reached for another bit of icing.

He then quickly took out the butter knife and dipped it in hot water before adding more icing to the cake. Okay, so he was a tad but worried about how soft his head would become after upsetting Amy. She nodded, "That's better." Taking a knife as well, she worked on the other side of the cake.

Sally poured the filling into the tarts when she finished preparing them and opened the preheated oven to place them in. When she closed it and wiped the sweat from her forehead, she had to set the timer. _I hope I do not burn them like the first time I had cooked. Mom never had the time to teach me how to properly bake. She is always working,_ she thought as she looked at the baking.

Turning to see if anything else needed to be baked, she was going to see Amy. As she turned, a cloth that covered some items moved aside and an elegant hand held mirror was beneath. She held some breath when she noted beautiful the design and did not know if she should touch it or not. Amy's sudden laughter startled her and she looked to see Shadow trying to make her eat some of the icing that she accidently splattered across his face. Crouched down, he sprang up over the frosted cake and made a direct landing on top of her. Holding icing in his hand that he wiped off his face, he held it over her face. She whirled her head back and forth but all was useless. The life form creamed it into her face looking very evil.

He kissed her on the cheek, whispering "Tasty." Creeped out, she pushed him off. She sat up and brushed the pieces of icing off her dress, thankful an apron was worn at the time. Her eyes then fell on the mirror next to Sally and walking towards it, she picked it up.

While she examined it, Shadow was doing all he could to finish the cake. Now dear reader, please be aware that there is a very good reason why we never see those like Shadow or Knuckles bake a five layer cake or decorate it. It is a guaranteed disaster if they are not carefully watched.

He tried to pipe the icing out of the bag but because he held it too long, it was melting in his hands. A large blob came out and he glanced to see if Amy was watching. Grateful she did not see that, he tried to use a knife to scrape it off. Unfortunately that move took some cake with it. Eyes widen, he felt like he was face-to-face with soon to be death.

He then tried to use the icing to force that piece to stick to the rest of the cake. When it seemed secure, he went to finish the rest, wishing it would soon be over. The piece that he glued on started to fall off. When his back turned, it fell to the floor. Looking down, he glanced both ways and stuck the piece into his mouth. _Maybe if she does not look at this side, she will never know the difference._ Truth be told, it was a fair sized chunk missing. Even though everything was covered with icing, it was still somewhat visible.

While he worked on the cake, his girl was looking at the mirror. Amy said, looking at her reflection "I haven't seen this in a long while. I have one more at home when I thought it was missing. I can't remember how I lost it." She held it out to Sally, who tilted her head, "Here, Sally you could have it. One is good enough for me."

The red head waved her hands and said to Amy, "Oh that won't be necessary. My mom has a good sized mirror in the bath room. I don't think I would have much use for a hand held mirror." Amy shook her head and plopped it in her hands, "Oh, I insist. Every girl has to have mirror. You never know if you meet someone who you will want to impress." Blue eyes peeking at the mirror, Sally said, "Thanks."

Amy turned around in time to see Shadow holding the large cake in one hand, "Where do you want this?" Her green irises shrunk and she hurriedly ran to him, "Careful with that, Shadow! What if you drop it?" His eyes rolled, "It's fine." "Oh."

After a couple second pause he said, "Aren't you going to tell where you want this or do you want me to hold it like this all day?" She looked up, "Huh?" her eyes became wide, "Oh yeah, the cake!" She ran to the display, "Just put it over here." Following her instructions, he placed it in its spot. Brushing his hands, he smirked at Amy for some reason. Eyes narrowed at him, she said, "What?" His smirk grew as though it would break into laughter any minute. She looked pretty dumb with icing on her face and hands on her hips. It made it impossible to take her seriously.

Reached out to her, he wiped a bit of icing with one finger. An uncontrolled blush flooded her face when he retracted his finger so she could see it. Her hand was lifted to her cheek and felt the crusty white icing along her furry mussel. Rushing to the bath room sink, the water could be heard running as she splashed it into her face.

Drying the water with paper towel, she chucked it and came out annoyed at the silhouette thing standing at the counter. More customers came in as the day progressed. It was no surprise to Amy why Shadow stuck around to help aside from the fact that he liked trying out her cooking behind her back. He wanted to protect her from annoy and nasty people. That was one of the sweetest things that anyone has ever done for her.

The day ended and when Sally returned the _We're Open_ sign inside Amy's Bakery, Amy told her, "Today was a nice busy one. Tomorrow, I'm planning on donating some of my baking to the orphanage. Apparently the attacks that Eggman does makes it difficult for some people, especially orphans." "Yeah, I guess that makes me pretty lucky with the fact that I still have mine."

A sad smile went on the owner's face as she handed a check to Sally, "There is nothing to be ashamed of. I, for one, am glad to see people that still have their parents. It gives me some hope that we could restart and build a better city than the one destroyed by Eggman."

Sally shyly smiled as she accepted the money, "Thanks."

Amy opened the door and waved her hand, "Thanks for coming here. I hope that you come in again tomorrow." Sally nodded and said, "I wouldn't miss it." The pink girl waved her hand as Sally walked off.

Shadow jumped behind her and said, "Now about tonight. Are we going somewhere decent?"

A troublemaking expression appeared on her, "Whatever was wrong with the last one?"

His eyelids went half open, "Are you that dense that you can't figure it out?"

"What out?" her hands were innocently held by her sides, looking very clueless.

He silently glared at her as she was seriously trying to figure out what was troubling her hedgehog. Her ears then perked up and she looked at him, "Oh wait, are you talking about the one where Rouge was working in?"

He held his head, as though the memory still gave him a headache, " _Yes_. As I recall, she was insistent on hovering around, non-stop." "Oh Shadow, you are worried over nothing. She was just glad that you are finally going out to a fancy restaurant." He sarcastically said, " _Right_." The faint memory of Rouge bugging him about finally being social and civil was still running through his mind, not to mention the change in music from something slow to something ten times sappy and pathetic. He thought for sure the boredom would eventually put him to sleep.

Glancing to his right, he grabbed her arm and dragged her before she chose a new spot. She looking behind her, and saw that they were apparently heading for Boston Pizza, Shadow's personal favorite. She held her head, thinking _why am I not surprised?_


	3. Chapter 3

Sally returned home to turn in for the night. She opened the door and as always, her younger brother was the only one to greet her. Elise said, "Hey sister, can I borrow five dollars?" Confused, she said, "Why do you need five dollars?" "Well you see there is this new chocolate bar that I saw in the vending machine that I just have to try." "That's pricey! Sorry, Elise but I'm not throwing away money for something like a candy bar." The eight year old held out his two clenched hands hopefully, "But this one is different. It has peanut butter chunks inside that are cloaked in caramel, some marshmallow bits, and there are even peanuts with honey. It is so good." With large blue eyes, ears drooping down, he looked like a puppy begging for table scraps.

Annoyed, she said, "Elise…" Her brother was making it hard to say no. It seemed to be some sort of talent of his, meant to be exploited for his purposes. Hand held out, the five dollars rested in her grasp.

Her kid brother said, "Alright, thanks," and snatched the prize. The older sister muttered, "Don't mention it." Their mother was not home yet but Alicia did leave a note for her two children that their food was in the fridge and just needed to be reheated.

Sally glanced at the note and opened the fridge to search for her food. On the second shelf were two plates of potato, stake, and salad. She narrowed her eyes at the _two_ plates and glanced back at Elise, who had conveniently vanished with the money. _When I find him, I'll make sure that he has his food. The little troll thinks he could get away with that…_ she thought as she pulled out her food portion. While it was reheating in the microwave, she went to her bedroom to deposit her mirror. The moment it touched the dresser, a warm blue glow came from it. After giving her eyes two rubs, she looked again. This time the glow became blue words on the reflective glass.

It said:

 _Power of the moon_

 _I cry to you_

 _Every passing noon_

 _Must I wait so long_

 _For my ultimate release?_

 _Many a day_

 _I long for a warm touch_

 _To lay_

 _Against my pure glass._

The words vanished when Sally read the last piece of the riddle. Something about its presentation chilled her to the bone. And it was not the temperature. Two steps back were taken. Maybe if she ignored it, it will go away. She then remembered a disturbing fact: her hand had recently touched the mirror's glass when it was given.

A blue ray of light had burst through the glass and then vanished. Blinking three times, it did not look like anything really happened. "Weird," she finally breathed.

"Hey Sally, can I go outside?" her brother asked behind her. Stiffening because she was freaked out by the strange mirror's behavior, she looked at Elise and said, "It is getting a bit dark for that. Why don't you wait for morning?" "But, sis, the guys are outside and we need to practice for the upcoming game tomorrow morning. Mom always lets me do that." A sigh came from her, "Alright then. Just don't take too long." "Right, see ya later then," her brother waved as he climbed down the stairs.

She then remembered her resolution to make him eat his supper and called out, "Just a minute Elise, you never had supper!" "Catch you later Sally!" the boy quickly said as he pulled the front door close. _Oooh, that kid…he is going to one day be the death of me._

She grabbed her coat and on her way out she caught sight of another thing her brother conveniently forgot. His jacket was hanging on the rack in its usual spot. Eyes rolled, she snatched it off the hook thinking, _figures…_

She went outside and spotted the third grader kicking a soccer ball into a net. Walking in front of Elise, she called out, "Hey little brother, you forgot a few things." Her hand was waving the coat in the air. The little boy blushed, embarrassed that the whole team is probably seeing this. Oblivious to how boys think of those things, the older sister handed him his jacket.

He muttered his thanks and held it in his hand. The sister looked at him and said with crossed arms, "Put it on…" "Aww but Sally, it does not look tough to wear a coat. The guys will think I'm a sissy." Grabbing the coat, she pulled his arms through the sleeves, "Never mind that. It is not worth it if it makes you catch a cold."

A ball was kicked past them and went into the woods. The brother looked at it, but Sally continued to ignore it as she zipped the coat on. Someone called out, "Has anyone seen the ball?" Another yelled, "I think I kicked it into the woods. It's the one with the haunted swamp." Eager to get out of his sister's grasp, Elise spoke up, "I'll get it!" and broke free of his sister to race for the ball.

Sally called out, annoyed, "Hey wait a minute buster. Come back here." No answer came. "Oh great, he got out of eating supper again. I'll go in and drag him back to the house if I have to." Marching into the dark forest that almost appeared to be forbidden, she searched for her brother. The further she advanced, the more she questioned her rash decision in going there.

A fast flapping noise sounded from the trees and the branches bounced up and down. A couple black feathers fell around her and some water droplets landed on her head. She shook the liquid out of her medium length hair. Looking up, she caught sight of the fleeing crows. Calling out for her brother, it did not seem like he was around. In fact the whole place seemed abandoned.

She rubbed her arms from the chilly air and tried to back track and see if she might have missed him. Taking the route back, it did not seem like she getting anywhere. Each tree looked the same and each time she took a different path, it always took her to the swamp. Sitting down, she plopped her head against a large stone and ran her fingers through her head, "Argh! I keep taking the wrong path." Worry appearing on her face, she hugged her knees, "I must be lost. This is the same place I left fifteen minutes ago."

The boulder behind her head budged and made her fall back first into mud. Groaning, she said, "I just got this shirt. This is definitely not my lucky day."

Something next to her glow a pale blue. Blue eyes fully open, she quickly sat up and looked at the tiny object. It looked like a marble and was glowing like the mirror that she was given. Quickly backing up, she said, "Ah, it—it's glowing like that mirror. Oh no. Not this again!" As it became brighter, she was crawling on her back in the mud. By the time it turned really bright, she was up against a weeping willow. A form shaped like a hedgehog appeared from the blue mist. His face was that of Shadow's if not for the lighter tan and green eyes. Unlike Shadow though, his fur was blue and his arms were skin colored.

 _It looks like a boy. But what is he doing here and why did he come from the mist like some sort of ghost? Ghosts aren't real, right?_ She stared at the blue hedgehog who looked about with an angered expression on his face. He then caught sight of the squirrel on the muddy ground and jumped in front of her. It was so fast that she did not see him move. In fact, it looked like he vanished from his original spot and materialized in front of her. "Hey, you, mind telling me where it is?" it asked her.

Anger replacing her fright, she said, "Where what is? You don't have to be so rude about it." "Yeah, yeah," he brushed her off as he looked around the swamp. Despite that he came from the mist, he still looked see through and whenever his hand came in contact with the muck, it would pass through it. Growling at his hand, he continued to try. Back on her feet, Sally watched the guy in his desperate search. She took three more steps forward and felt something by her feet. Picking it up, she examined it, saying "This looks like the thing I touched before you came out. Is this what you're looking for?" Her hand held it out so then he could see it.

The guy turned around and a smile went across his face. "That's it!" he said when he charged at her. "Huh?" she said when he ran to her at an incredible speed. Just like the mud, he fell through her and the gem. He crashed into the ground with an "Oomph!" Immediately sitting up on his knees, he said, "Stupid spell. I'll get that gem one way or another." She was looking at him from her spot. Face completely covered in dirt and swamp water, he looked terrible. The growl on his face just added to the undignified effect.

"Uh huh…" she softly said, looking at the gem. It was becoming worrying what she might have unleashed when she touched it. "Hey," he called out to get her undivided attention. She looked up and saw his ticked off face. When their eyes met, he said, "Are you going to undo that spell or what? You already unlocked half of it." Her arms crossed, "Why were you in there?"

He shrugged, "Eh, some dumb wizard wanted me out of the way because he did not like it how I was attacking the town after an accident." Her red eye brows shot up with her thinking _attacking a town? And he expects me to release him, why?_

Hand shoving the gem in her jean pocket, she said, "Not a chance." "Aww come on, lady. It's not what it looks like." "Oh, how is it not what it sounds? If you ask me," her finger jabbed him in the chest, "attacking a town sounds serious. There is nothing on this planet that could convince me to break this spell," _even though I have no idea how to break it._

His hand rubbed the spot where she poked him, thinking _so she can touch me. No surprise there, considering that I could smell what kind of blood she has._ As his foot moved along the ground, the dirt it kicked moved. He lifted his foot to look at it and the soil. Crouched down, he scooped the mud up. While sniffing it, him being a hedgehog and all, Sally continued to walk away. When she was far enough away, it fell through his hand. Green eyes blinking, he glanced at the girl and thought _Heh, who'd have thought that in order to touch anything, she has to be somewhere close by._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was a long walk out of the woods but Sally figured out how to leave them. After moving aside one more branch, she saw the soccer field that Elise was playing on not too long ago. Her brother called out, "Hey sis, where'd you go? Someone told me that you were trying to find me." Remembering that was why she was in the woods in the first place, she placed her hand on her mouth, "Oh yeah. That's right." Looking back at him, she held her hands together and asked, "Did you find the ball?" The boy nodded and showed her the ball under his arm, "It was under a log by a great big alder tree."

She sighed with her arms and head hanging down, "I'm going inside, remember to eat your supper or Mom will skin you alive." "Sure thing Sis," the boy said, kicking his ball back into action.

Sally returned to the house and leaned against the wooden door. Heaving a sigh of relief she slid down its smooth surface. A flashing red light caught her attention and her head popped up to look. The chord, punch button phone sat on its side table, flashing a red spot. A message must have been left while she went out to get her brother.

Standing up, her hand brushed out the wrinkles and dirt from the swamp. Some mud was creamed into her fur and might take all day to rinse out. She looked at the light again. Foot partly raised, a quick slam made her freeze in her tracks.

"I don't know what kind of hocus pocus was used to make these lodgings, but I seriously need that stone," the voice behind her startled her and made her spin around. Her hand slapped the guy in the jaw and the hedgehog looked momentarily stunned.

Sally looked at her hand and slowly retracted her fist. This character that materialized from a freaky stone already looked dangerous. To anger him was just suicide. Pale and unsure, she backed away from the guy.

Those green eyes of his blinked with acknowledgement of what happened, he rubbed his face muttering, "You sure throw a mean punch."

Sally instantly snatched the object next to her and held it in between them, "Take one more step and you will regret it."

You would think that she was holding a real weapon that she could make such a threat. Unfortunately for her a broom was all that she could find. The hedgehog glanced at her, at the broom, and at her once again. A cocky smirk crossed his face as he said, "You can't be serious."

The broom stick pressed against his chest, "You had better believe it." Still smirking, he placed a finger on it and pushed it aside. Sally looked down at the broom for a couple seconds and held her hand close to her mouth thinking with widened eyes, _I'm toast!_

Backing up while the intruder approached her, her back touched the cool wall. Feeling trapped, she did not know what her chances of survival were. His hand went against the wall and as he held out his hand to her, he cleared his throat.

A shy smile went on her face and she asked, "Yes?"

"Seriously, lady? You don't know?" he watched her with a fowl mood.

"O—of course I do—" she then stopped recalling that this hedgehog saw nothing wrong with attacking a village. There was no wisdom in giving him what he asked for. Unfortunately, she was unsure what should be done.

A loud ring buzzed through the air and made the blue hedgehog turn his head, hairs shooting up with a cat's. He yelled, "What the—"

Sally shook a figure at him, "Hey no swearing!"

"Then what is making that sound?"

"Hmm?" she turned her head to the sack sitting next to the side table and reached into it. Digging through it for a few minutes, she eventually pulled out a touch cell phone. Her thumb bended to tap the button to accept the call and she held up to her ear. "Hello—" another hand snatched the device and yanked it out of her hand.

She looked back and forth and saw the strange boy looking at her phone and narrowing his eyes at it. "How is it doing this?" he asked as Sally tried to reach for it, but Hedgehog pushed her back with his hand.

"Doing what?" she asked, alarmed. He looked at her with one ear moving up and down. She had to admit, that did look slightly adorable but that did not change the issue. He still had her phone and she could have sworn that her father's name was on the caller ID.

"Trapping small people into this thing," he said and then looked at the screen and placed his ear against the glassy surface that said, "Sally, are you there? Alicia? Hello, is someone there?"

The hedgehog shook the cell a couple times, trying to get the small people out and kept turning whenever Sally tried to take it back. Her old man became impatient and could hear Sally saying, "Okay hand over the phone so then I could talk to Dad before he wonders what is going on."

The father then looked worried, wondering what was going on. The hedgehog than asked, "Is he inside here?"

"No, cell phones just allow you to hear what he is saying at a distance."

"That's stupid."

"How is that stupid? Have you even seen a phone?" Sally then snatched the phone, wondering how long he has been trapped within that weird stone. She glanced down at her pocket. Perhaps there was some truth in the stories about ghosts, werewolves and vampires. Whatever time he was last out of the stone, it was most likely before technology came around, maybe before man knew how to manufacture a gun.

Her line of thought was then stopped when her father yelled, "What's going on over there? Someone had better talk fast before I—" Sally then said, a delightful "Hi Dad, how are you? Is that busted arm of yours getting better?"

While she spoke, the boy stood behind her tilting her head. His excellent hearing allowed him to hear what her father said back. It seemed that what the squirrel said made sense even if it sounded far-fetched.

Sally was eventually off the phone and noticed that her brother who entered the room did not acknowledge the hedgehog's presence. She looked at her kid brother and then at the hedgehog. Elise looked confused and asked, "What are you looking at, Sis?"

Eyelids blinking a couple times, she said, "Don't you see him?"

"See who? Are you feeling alright?"

"I—I think so." Blue eyes shot a glance at the hedgehog that asked _what is going on._ A trouble making smirk crossed his face and he answered her with a shrug and held out his hand saying, "Hand over that blue stone and I'll show you."

She looked down at where she shoved it and shouted back, "Fat chance! You have already told me what you did and unless you can justify it, you cannot even hope to see it."

While she ranted, her brother looked at her funny with wide blinking eyes, thinking that his sister has gone mad. She was arguing with the air. The boy slipped out of the room and when Sally stopped, she noticed that it was only her and the transparent hedgehog that remained. Annoyed she thought, tapping her mouth, _why do I get this nagging feeling that Elise could not see that boy. Does that mean that I'm going crazy...This is way too weird. How could Elise not see him?_

Sonic placed his hands behind his head and said, "Give it a rest, lady. No one will see me."

She tilted her head and asked, "Why not? I can see you just fine..."

"Yeah but in case you did not realise it, that kid did not even see me standing in the light. Seeing how you have broken part of the curse it only makes sense that you could see me. You must possess some strange power to be able to undo some of it."

Silence fell. She did not know what to say to this. Somehow her boring life was turned around when she brought home a strange glowing mirror and was followed by a weird hedgehog that would not leave until the stone was given to him. Stillness broke as she slightly turned her head up with interest, "Oh, I almost forgot. What's your name?"

"Sonic," he then took one step forward and said, "And yours is…?"

She softly said, "It—it is Sally, Sally Acorn. Look, I have no plans to give you this stone until I know who you are. But I'm not a fan of living with an enemy either. Can't you tell me what you were doing to the village and why you were doing it?"

Realising how much she stared at his face, he quickly jerked his head away, "It's nothing too serious. I'd rather not talk about it."

Sympathy suddenly flowed to her and her eyes softened at his, even though they avoided hers. She slowly said, "Please tell me. There must be a reason for you to attack a whole village." Most would think that power was his motivation but something in his tone just now told her otherwise.

Sonic's eyes slowly looked at hers while his head was moved to the side. He caught sight of her face and it really freaked him out. Aggression he could handle; sympathy he could not. Why could she not hit him on the head instead or better yet yell and lecture him for being a furious monster? Everyone else has.

This girl was giving him no reason to be angry, and refused to let sleeping dogs lie. Noticing no answer came from his surprised expression, she stepped closer. He took the same amount of steps back. It made her wonder how menacing the guy actually was. Surely if he could attack a village, confronting her should be no problem. He then sniffed the air and said to change the subject, "What's that smell?" Eyes closed to indulge the scent, it led him to the kitchen. Sally smiled at the way he appeared as he did this but said nothing. It was sort of cute the way he moved and changed his face. It then dawned on her that after all the time he has been sealed he must be famished.

She walked into the kitchen while Sonic searched for where the scent was strongest and she opened the fridge. Leftovers were taken out as she asked, "Would you like something to eat?"

There was no answer. She poked her head up, above the fridge door and saw him looking through the toaster oven. It appeared that someone forgot their toast. On top of the bread was melted cheese on tomato sauce. It was quite possible that Elise had some friends over and one of them forgot about the toast. If she recalled, Tails was fond of inventing new types of food. Unfortunately some were too strange to touch but he was the one who had to eat it.

He pulled it out and sniffed it again, poking it, "What's this?"

"That's toast. I'm not sure whose that is though..."

The guy popped it into his mouth and licked his fingers, "It's mine now."

Sally's jaw dropped, watching him eat the bread. Then again, he was starving, so he could get away with eating other people's food this time. She then yawned and stretched her arms. The watch said it was ten past ten. Elise should be put to bed so then the two could get some shut eye. Looking back at Sonic, who was still going through the left overs on the table, she was still unsure what to do about the hedgehog. She barely knew if he intended to harm her in her sleep because she refused to hand over the weird gem.

"So, Sonic," she said, causing him to look at her with another toast halfway in his mouth, "I think it is getting late. Do you have a place to stay?"

Eyes closed with a smile, he picked up a chicken wing and before tore off a piece, he simply said, "Nope."

The unexpected answer shot her idea of making him leave out of the water. It looked like there was not much choice. She touched her lips, unsure what to do. It would be wrong to turn him away.

He noticed her face and said, hands behind his head "Give it up, Sally. You can't get rid of me that easily."

Immediately crossing her arms, she said, "You are not scaring me, so you could give _that_ up. I'll just refuse to tell you where it is."

The guy rolled his eyes, "Uh huh. You do realise that I gave you no time to put it anywhere, right?" There was a knock on the door and the two heard someone with an Australian accent say, "Sally, you forgot something at the school. Mind if I come in?"

"Uh..." Sally looked at the door and at Sonic. She sighed, saying "Come in." _What am I so worked up about? No one could see him, let alone touch him. He did go through me after all._

The handle turned and opened the door. A skunk stood at the entrance with a cocky smirk. In his hands was a box of chocolates and a bunch of red roses. "Flowers for a flower, now isn't that appropriate, Lov?"

Awkwardly smiling with her eyes closed, Sally said "You didn't have to do that... I said that I did not want to go to the dance, Geoffrey. I don't know how to dance."

Geoffrey pulled her hands closer and said, "No worries, Sally. I'll teach you how. I'm what they call a professional." She tried to tell him there was no spark between them, but he was the kind that won't listen or give up. The skunk pulled her closer and before he knew it, something kicked him hard in the gut.

It then grabbed his fluffy tail and dragged him out of the house to chuck him. Sally watched the whole thing and saw Sonic pull Geoffrey. The hedgehog slammed the door shut and smacked his hands together. He then noticed Sally's face and said, "What?"

Normally she would have been worried about the fact that he could now touch things, but this time it was different. She had no idea that he cared about others.

Catching on to how she looked at him, he whipped his head away saying, "Don't get all mushy about it. I just didn't want him to touch the gem."

The words he said did little to upset her and she still looked at him, not totally buying that excuse. Geoffrey had no way of knowing that she had it. From the way she could see things, Sonic was trying to put on a tough guy act. Maybe it would not be that terrible to let him stay for a bit.

Stepping up the stairs, she noticed the puppy dog face he gave. He clearly did not want to be alone, although, he did try to follow her for a certain stone. Despite all that, even she had to admit it would be a terrible thing to be bounded to a stone. Her hand slowly went to her pocket but then stopped. If he was completely out there was no telling if he would attack and destroy life as she knew it.

She closed her eyes thinking, _no, not quite yet. I don't even know the full story._ Halfway up the stairs, she stopped and looked back at Sonic, saying "Why don't you stay in the guest room? I would feel bad if I had to sleep outside."

He coolly looked at her and said, "I'd rather be outside."

"Are you sure? It's not exactly friendly weather out there." _Actually, I think it's ready to rain._

The thunder sounded and lighten struck close. The two looked outside and Sally looked at him, "Still not going to change your mind?"

Annoying, he said, patting her head "Nice try, but nothing you say will have any effect." The hedgehog leapt out the window as Sally watched him. She slowly went into her room, hoping that he would be alright. The girl then remembered that he went through things and bolted up, "Where does he plan on sleeping?"

Her answer was shortly answered. Sonic forgot that he went through things when Sally was not nearby and when he jumped onto the roof, he fell right through the roof and landed onto Sally's bed. She had let out screech and jumped out of the bed.

He lied down there twitching and groaned, "On second thought, Sally, I'll take you up on that offer." Sonic peeled his body off the mattress and said, still lying down "Where is this _spare room_?"

Sally looked at him horrified until he spoke and said, "I don't think making you stay in a different room would be an excellent idea. If being above me was enough to make you go through things, I have this nagging feeling that you could not be too far away. Why don't you stay here instead?"

He blinked at her disbelievingly, "Are you sure about that?"

Sure of it being the best solution, she nodded, "I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself because of me. Wait here, I'll be right back."

He snatched her arm and made her quickly look back. Sonic then said, "Hold on a minute, Sally."

"What?"

"Remember what happened when you were in a different room? If you are going to grab something, I will go with you."

Red in the face, she said, "Uh, right."

Both went to the hallway closet and she searched for extra blankets and pillows. Taking the right amount, she tossed them to Sonic, who looked at them funny. "What's all this," he asked, confused. The way his ears twitched and moved, made her smile, but she tried to hide it.

"Those are blankets and pillows for you to sleep on. Never saw any before?"

"No..." he rubbed his head into the material and looked surprised. Rubbing into it more, she could have sworn that he was purring. Never had he come across something that felt so wonderful.

He eventually looked up and saw Sally's smile. "Are you ready to go to bed?" she asked, happy that he was satisfied with what she handed.

"Yeah," he said, still looking at the blankets. One of them was even a fleecy blanket. That one was his favorite.

The two of them went to the bedroom where Sally helped make the bed. He watched her set it up with a straight face. When she finished, she said, "I guess that looks alright. You had better get some shut eye."

When she slipped into bed, she heard him said, "Thanks."

She poked her head above the blankets and said with a smile, "Don't mention it. If someone needs help, I'll do whatever I could to help them."

He smirked for the first time and closed his eyes to dream for the rest of the night. When he looked again five minutes later, he decided to try taking the gem. The hedgehog stood up and went to her side. He was ready to search her for the gem but stopped when he saw how quietly she slept. With a total stranger in the room she still peacefully slept. Was she somehow different than everyone else?

Lowering his hand, he sighed and went back to bed. Someday he will grab it, just not when she was like this. It would be wrong to take it from someone so defenceless.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A new day dawned. Sally sat up in her bed and stretch, thinking it was going to another dull day and plopped back onto the mattress. Her eyelids then popped open and she looked in front of the bed. Sonic sat on the floor and stared at her intensely. She thought, sweat dropping, _oh yeah, that's right. Sonic is still here._

Blue eyes shifting to the clock, she let out a slight scream and leapt out of bed. Sonic's ears twitched as he watched her and he eventually said, "What's the problem?"

She flung the door open, not totally listening to him, saying "I going to be late. I'm going to be late. Oh, I should not have slept in. Why didn't I set the alarm last night?"

"Uh...Sally?" Sonic poked his head around the corner as he watched her in the kitchen make her sandwich in a hurry. He tilted his head, thinking _man this girl's weird. Why is she talking to herself? And what is she so late for?_

When she bolted past him, he took that opportunity to snatch her arm and say, "What are you so worked up about?"

She blinked at him a couple times and eventually said, "I have to go to work in fifteen minutes. If I quickly eat I might still have ten minutes. I might make it," then she quietly muttered, "Provided that there is no bad traffic."

"What's traf-fic?" he asked as though it was foreign word.

"It's when there are so many people and cars out on the road that you have to wait for them to move. Sorry, but—"

"What's a car?"

"Look, Sonic," she said as she pulled his arm away, "I don't have time to talk."

"Sure you do. Just eat and leave the rest to me."

"Huh? What do you—"

He then shot her a look, "Look do you want a ride or not?"

"Well sure I do, but still..."

He snatched up her sandwich and shoved it into her hands and ordered, "Will you just eat and stop yakking?"

She ate the food, curious what he had in mind. As soon as she finished the sandwich and washed herself, she went back to him.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Uh- huh," she nodded and to her surprise, he scooped her up and bolted out the door in lighten speed.

Eyes closed and clenching her teeth, her red and gold hair batted in her face. He looked down at her and said, "What's the problem, Sally? If you don't open your eyes, we will miss your destination. It won't take long to pass it."

She opened her eyes and blushed at how close he held her to his chest. Turning her head, she tried to see where they were. Unfortunately it was too blurry to see anything. Impatient, the hedgehog asked her, "So where is this place?"

"I—I can't see anything. You're going too fast."

"You know this is _not_ fast. If this was fast, you would see a whole lot less. My real speed can even allow me to go through things."

He started to slow down until things were less blurring and she saw that they were on a building. She climbed down to look at the buildings and pointed at a familiar corner baker, "That's the one!"

A hand pulled Sally back into his arms and he took her to Amy's bakery. Amy walked out with Shadow behind her. He was holding the heavy 'we're open' sign over his shoulder while his girlfriend looked mildly annoyed with flattened ears.

"Alright, Amy, where do I put this?" his face was partly serious with a hint of a smirk. Amy sighed and pointed to a spot on the sidewalk.

"Thank-you," he teasingly said.

Amy shook her head and when she looked up, she saw Sally standing in front of the bakery, looking a bit wind-blown. The pink girl greeted her and said, "There you are, Sally. You're on time again."

Sally awkwardly smiled, wiping her forehead, "Yeah, I guess I am. You could say that I ran here."

Amy laughed as she accompanied her employee into the building. Behind them, Shadow slowly followed. As he entered, he looked around suspiciously. There was something else in the air. It could be nerves but that does not explain why his Black Arms blood felt so tingly. He rubbed his arm as he entered.

Sonic watched him enter and turned his head away to watch the clouds sail across the skies.

Shadow pushed the kitchen doors open and he heard Amy say, "There you are, slowpoke. Normally you like to come in here before I do so then you could give yourself free samples of everything."

A smile came on his face and his ears perked up like a listening dog. And he said, shrugging, "Just felt like watching the clouds."

"Oh, um…okay then..." she opened a cook book and said, "Ah, here's where that recipe disappeared. Okay, Shadow, if you want to hang out here you could help me make a batch of cream puffs." He walked behind her to read over his shoulder and if she was looking she would have seen him lick his chompers. When she looked up, his face returned to normal and stared back at her.

She tilted her head multiple ways but she supposed there was only one way to do it. The girl slightly stretched her neck and kissed him. It surprised him temporarily but he got into it pretty fast and gently held her cheek. When they backed out, he said "How many do you want to make?"

"How many what?" she groggily asked.

Lowly whispering he leaned closer and said, "Cream puffs."

"Hmm? As many as you like…" She eventually stood up to begin the cooking. They were supposed to work after all. Sally watched them as she prepared the strawberry short bread and then shyly smiled. Normally the thought of falling in love never crossed her because her parents were divorced but after she met Amy and her boyfriend, she saw real love. If only there was someone out there that could be that sweet to her.

A crashing sound came behind her and she turned to see a pile of flour and sugar sacks collapsed on the floor. To her dismay, Sonic was on the bottom of the mess, sprawled out and clenching his teeth in pain.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Oh, no, are you okay?" Sally called out as Sonic pried himself off the ground. She quickly knelt down and took the heavy load off his back.

He quietly grumbled, "This sticks..."

As she took off the last one, she asked "What were you doing anyways?"

Red in the face, he looked away and said, "Nothing. I just caught a whiff of something strange and followed it in here."

She then realised that he probably did not eat breakfast and stood up to go to the counter. Looking lost Sonic turned around, one ear hanging down and asked, "What are you doing?"

A smile went on her face and she said, "You'll see. Just wait right there." Her hands grabbed a couple pastries and she pulled out a plate for them. _Not what I would call a healthy breakfast but it's better than nothing._

She then knelt beside him, hands behind her back still smiling. Waving a finger, she looked at him with wink, "Okay, now close your eyes and don't you dare peek."

"Is it the jewel?" he excitingly asked.

"Not a chance."

"Awe man, party pooper," he disappointingly muttered.

"Now close your eyes or you won't get your surprise." He slowly closed his eyes and she pulled out his hands, saying, "Be ready to hold it tight."

 _What is she giving me?_ he thought.

A cool glass substance was plopped into his hands and she said, "Okay, now open." He slowly opened his eyes and saw a plate filled with pastries in his hands. Looking at them and then at Sally, he gave her a questioning face. "You are probably hungry, so I thought to give you something to eat."

"Is that right?" he looked once more at the piled goodies. She was sure generous in the portions she gave. Immediately he began to stuff his face and with a full mouth he said, "Not bad, Sally."

Smiling, she stood up and looked ahead. Shadow and Amy were too far away to realise that Sonic came in. She then glanced at the clock and thought that it would be a good idea to continue working. Taking a bowl, she decided to make up for lost time and filled it with the required ingredients.

Stirring it, she then scooped the dough onto the cookie sheets and placed them into the oven. She wiped her forehead and checked the time. Grabbing another bowl, she worked on a different recipe.

The bell rang and Amy called, "Sally, can you help me with the customers when you get the chance? There seems to be a lot pouring in."

Sally immediately wiped her hands when she pushed a cookie sheet into the oven and set out to take of the customers. Sonic had a treat partway in his mouth when she walked past and he lowered it, watching her.

He then caught a familiar scent that made his hairs stand on end. Racing next to Sally, he looked back and forth. Those green eyes of his then stopped when Geoffrey S.T. John came into view.


	7. Chapter 7

Sally was still taking care of the customers and placed the cash into the till. To keep her spirits up she was humming a tune. While working she nearly bumped into Sonic who was giving a low growl and an ugly glare. She looked up at him and tilted her head, wondering what was running through his head and upsetting him.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, breaking his train of thought on Geoffrey.

He snapped to attention and looked down at her, "Huh? Uh, yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"Is it anything you want to talk about?" Her blue eyes carefully watched him. In a way, it made her worry about him. But then again, she knew little about him.

"Why are you so curious anyways? It's not like you know me that well."

"True…but that doesn't mean that I don't care what happens to you."

Sonic looked mildly annoyed. There was no reasoning with her to get her to leave him alone. While he talked to Sally, Geoffrey sat down to order. Because of how many customers were in, Shadow offered to help Amy deal with them as well.

He stepped behind Geoffrey and said, "Make it fast and leave."

The skunk recognised the voice and turned around to say, "Well, well, if it ain't my good friend, Shadow. How are things between you and humans? We all know how you were accused of killing a little girl. What was her name again? Maria?"

The name triggered an old memory: one that he would rather leave behind in the sweet girl's grave. It still gave him secret chills how a young girl who adopted him was killed by another human. Then that human had the nerve to blame him for her death.

Humans and Mobians rarely got along. Shadow's bond with Maria was unique but was too rare to be accepted. The way Geoffrey brought it up made it seem like it was all Shadow's fault.

Clenching his hands, the ultimate life form calmly said as though a lion ready to kill something quietly: "Get out."

"Ha, you can't kick your customers out just because you're upset. Poor hedgehog, can't take the heat when someone points out the obvious truth." When he noticed that Shadow was ready to raise his hand, he added: "And killing me here and now will only prove me right. Go on ahead, kill me so then you could prove me right."

Shadow glanced around. Other eyes watched the spectacle. No doubt they belonged to people who believed in the rumors that he was low enough to kill the one thing he loved: children.

He glared at the skunk and said, "You are not all innocent either, skunk. I happen to know that you are not who you say you are. And when I bring out the proof, watch your back. A knife might be sticking through it at a high velocity."

"Yeah, sure whatever," he reclined in his chair as though he owned the place, "Why don't you give me the special?"

In the kitchen, Amy was checking on some food she was baking and saw Shadow storm through. That was never a good sign.

She slowly walked behind him and asked, "Shadow? Are you alright?"

He was leaning against the window, watching the tree branches move back and forth in the wind. Shaking his head, he stood up and faced her with his partly anguished red eyes. He said, rubbing the back of his head: "There are some things in this pathetic planet that I really wish did not happen or exist. That sorry excuse for a Mobian is one of them."

"What Mobian?" she looked at him worriedly. He was in one of his moods. She knew about the false accusations that were given to him but from what she saw in Shadow's personality, it would be out of his character to purposely hurt a little girl, especially one that showed him kindness.

She walked forward and brushed a red quill out of his face. He silently watched her and pulled her into a hug. The only thing he wanted from her was her to stay by him, always. He needed her belief and love and if he could have those two things, he could handle everything a bit longer.

Where Sonic and Sally were, they heard Shadow and Amy's conversation. Sonic's quills stiffened when he heard their voices and he walked ahead of Sally. She looked at him, wondering what he was doing. He jumped over the swinging doors and froze when he saw Shadow.

Shadow did the same when his eyes paused on the hedgehog. Sonic immediately went into a fighting position and said, "What are you doing here, Shadow? Shouldn't you be where no mortal Mobian could bother you?"

Shadow's look of shock changed into a smirk and he said, "Not at all. I see that you have not changed either little brother."

Amy watched Shadow with a blank expression, unable to understand why her guy was talking to nothing while Sally had a fixed look of shock thinking, _they're brothers?!_


	8. Chapter 8

Sally glanced back and forth as the brothers stared at each other. Sonic said to Shadow, pointing at him: "You still haven't answered my question? Last time I checked, you hated mortals."

Shadow waited for him to finish his rant and said, "Are you done?" Growling, Sonic folded his arms. The older brother then said, "In case you have not realised it, it has been centuries since you disappeared and fell susceptible to that wizard's spell. Much has changed since."

"Heh, knowing you, you probably did not care that I was trapped in that spell did you?"

Shadow silently looked at him and said, "You _are_ dense. We may not share the same mothers, but you still share the same blood as mine. To have you trapped by a mortal would be degrading."

With half-opened green eyes, the blue hedgehog sarcastically said: "Thanks, Shadow. Your sympathy is really astounding. I wouldn't know what to do without you."

While all this was happening, let's not forget that Shadow's girlfriend was watching the whole thing. Well, actually, it was only half of what was happening. Her green eyes stared at Shadow's back as though he was crazy.

Since when did he develop the habit of talking to himself?

Sally, however, saw the whole thing and was still very much confused. She marched in between them and said, "What's going on?"

` Sonic stepped in front of her and said, "Stay out of this, Sally. This is between me and Shadow."

Shadow looked at her and then at his little brother, "It appears that you are not a lost hope after all. Lucky for you, we live in a time where what you are has no effect on how she would have viewed you. Now if you are done fooling around, I have other things to worry myself about."

Surprised by how his brother dropped the argument, Sonic stopped looking ready for a fight and lowered his arms. Amy went to Shadow and slowly tapped his shoulder, saying: "Shadow?" Her hand touched his forehead as she felt hers, "Your weird temperature appears to be normal."

Realising that Amy probably could not see Sonic, he decided to tell her what was going on. Hopefully she would believe him. If she did not, he will use a different method that only his kind could use.

"Amy," he held into her shoulders, "There is something you should know."

"What is it?" she eagerly asked, tilting her head.

"You know about the legends that you have read about monsters like werewolves, vampires, and the like?"

"Y—yes?" now she was starting to feel frightened. It was a weird way of starting a conversation but then again so was watching him talk to the air. The way Sally intervened made it look like she was asking _Shadow_ what was going on. So right now it was only Shadow who looked insane unless he could do something to explain himself.

"I'm one of them."

"Huh?" she looked at him with both eyebrows raised and slightly backed up, surprised that he would say something so odd. It made her wonder if he was trying to tease her with a prank or something else annoying. There was no way that those things could exist.

Shadow rubbed the back of his head, watching her awkwardly. This was not going well. To his surprise, Amy placed both of her hands on his cheeks and said, "That's nothing compared to what I have to tell you but I did not think you would take me seriously."

He held onto her hands and gently pulled them down, "Take what seriously? Whatever you have to say, I will listen to."

"I have magical powers. You see," she pulled off her glove so then he could see a rose-shaped mark on the back of her hand, "I have the mark of a white wizard. That why I could take out as many mallets as I want. So if you say that you are a werewolf, vampire, or any other mythological creature, I will take your word for it."

Sonic watched her interestingly and said to Shadow, "Hey, Shadow, think you could ask the girl to take this stupid curse off me? I'm getting tired of not being able to touch things without the gem nearby."

Shadow looked at him annoyingly and asked Amy, "Okay then since you possess magical powers, could you undo the curse on this annoying thing in the back."

"Hey!" Sonic yelled while Shadow slightly smiled.

Looking at where Shadow pointed, Amy closed her eyes and held out her hand. It glowed white and the light surrounded Sonic. Sally had to cover her eyes to keep the light out of her eyes.

The light bounced back and made Amy stumble backwards. Shadow zipped behind her and caught her back. Helping her up, he asked: "I take it that was not supposed to happen."

She slowly stood up and brushed the dirt off her dress. Looking at where she saw the light surround Sonic and said, "I forgot. The only ones who could undo a curse are those who have more power than the person who placed the spell, the one who made the spell, or it has to be someone who shares the same bloodline. Whoever did this was very powerful."

Sally rubbed her arm and thought _how much trouble was Sonic causing?_

Sonic looked at her through the corner of his eye and said, "Wait a minute." Jumping in front of her and grabbing her arm, he looked at her all over, "That's right. When I first saw you, I smelt something familiar. You have the same blood as the guy who sealed me in that rock."

"Wait. I can't undo it. You told me that you attacked a village. Until I know what is going on, I won't even try to unleash you."

"Aw, but Sally..." the look on his face made her feel guilty and she looked at his pleading face.

She lifted her hand and reached for his ear. Scratching it, she said: "If I help, will you tell me what was going on that you wanted to do that?"

"N—n—no..." he quietly muttered as he began to look drowsy. Sally was surprised by how he reacted to that. Most Mobians don't do it that quickly. She was only going to scratch his ear for a couple seconds.

Shadow watched his brother act undignified and sighed. Even though he did not show it or say it, he was glad that Sonic was back. But naturally he was too high and mighty to say anything about his personal feelings, unless he was talking to Amy. But even then, she might have to do a lot of convincing to make him admit it.

Sally slowly stopped scratching Sonic's ear and lowered her hand. Partly groggy, he shook his head and said, "Never do that again."

"Why not? You looked cute."

"You thought I looked what?" Sonic's face turned bright red and when Sally realised what she just said, she turned her head around so then he could not see her. She thought _okay, this is awkward. That did not come out as I wanted. Why did I even think that?_

Shadow scratched his head with closed eyes and thought that his brother was being a moron. It was quite clear that he was fond of the girl and yet he chose to ignore it. Amy tapped him and said, "I think I could almost see the hedgehog but it takes a lot of magic to do it. If I stop using magic, I could not see him."

"So are you trying to tell me that you could see blue boy?"

"Yep," she nodded with a childlike smile.

She then heard more customers come in and said, "Oh yeah, I should get going. And Shadow, I think you should stay here."

"Why?" he calmly asked with a large look of concern in his red eyes. It was interesting how those eyes could emphasis what was on his mind. Amy definitely saw it

"Because I don't want whoever was mean to you to pick on you again."

He rolled his eyes and said, "Please, I'm the Ultimate Life Form. I could take care of myself."

"But..."

"No 'buts,' I'm going out there again and there's nothing you could do about it."

He walked passed her. _If he's going to be stubborn,_ she thought, _then I'm going to have to keep an eye on him._ She followed him.

Sally looked at Sonic for a few minutes and said while he looked outside, "If you ever need someone to talk to, I will be here to listen to you. And I'll do whatever I could to understand."

"There's no talking you out of bothering me about why I wanted to raid a village, huh?" he looked at her with, if she was not mistaken, a genuine smile.

She shook her head, "Nope."

He sighed and plopped onto the white tiled ground, watching his hand fiddle with a chair leg: "I never trusted anyone but that's because they never trusted me. So I tried to defend myself." His ears perked and twitched. Beside him, Sally was sitting down attentively listening to his words.

The staring continued for a couple minutes until she asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Sitting back to normal, he blushed again and turned his head so then he only looked at the floor on the other side of him: "No."

"So what happened?"

He slightly looked at her and continued, "One day, I was running past a village but stopped when I nearly ran over a woman who was lying down. I may have done bad things, but…running over people was not one of those things. Anyways, I looked at her a few seconds and saw no injuries. I tried to get her to move but she refused to budge. Instead, she stood up and said, 'So you are the werehog that I have heard so much of. My name is Fiona. Why don't you show me your transformation? It must be a great sight. I always enjoy seeing displayed power mixed with wickedness.'"

"Okay, so she was cute girl who was dumb enough to like monsters. I didn't go for it and said, 'I've got better things to do than that, lady.'

She stopped me by grabbing my arm and said, 'Please, I beg of you, I'm a very lonely person. All I want is someone to talk to. Surely you could relate? I too, am a half. I could sense it on you. Your mother was a Mobian while your father was a werewolf. Tell me, was he powerful?'

"'Heh, I have better things to do than to tell people my problems.' In a blink of an eye, I left her in the dust. She must have been really fuming after that because a short while later we met again.

"It was in the middle of the woods. She called out, 'Hedgehog!' and distracted me so then I tripped into a mud puddle. That of course got my attention and I glared at the female fox who was holding a young kid.

"He was half-werewolf like I was. Apparently she did not sympathise others like her. But I guess that came as no surprise. Quite often that happened to me. People pretend to be one thing and when you don't expect it, they get you with a nasty surprise. Seeing the way she held the kid made me mad and I said, 'What are you doing?'

She smirked and said, holding a knife close to the kid: 'I tried, I really did. But it does not look like it will work out between us.'

"'What won't?' This woman was really getting to me.

"'Us being together. You are so blind that you did not see me every other time I tried to get your attention. So the next time I saw you come, I placed myself on the ground in your path.'

"'Are you that stupid that you would risk being road kill so then I could _see_ you?' That woman was crazy. But that still did not change the fact that she was holding a three-year-old. She then placed the knife next to the kid and smirked.

"'I heard that you have soft spot for children. I wonder what would happen if I killed one?' It was too late. She killed the kid. The knife made its way through his throat. The scent of it made me go crazy and I had no control over what I felt. My claws grew and so did my teeth. Before I knew it, my fur became bushier and darker as my muscles tripled in size. She got what she wanted.

"I transformed.

"She slipped out of the area while I changed and when the scent of people's blood reached me, I had an uncontrollable urge to tear something apart. That was when I attacked and killed several villagers. Because of that they hired a powerful sorcerer along with his men to hunt me down and either kill or seal me. Because I was too much for him, he sealed me inside the moon stone."

Sally asked, "What's that?"

"It's a powerful stone that magicians like to use so then they could seal monsters like me. They could also be used to track other monsters down. If I could have the rock I could use it to find that fox and get back for what she did." His fists clenched as his body shook. Sally's soft brown hand touched a fist and calmed him down.

Feeling greatly sorry for him, she flung her arms around him and said: "Thanks."

"For what?" he asked slowly returning the hug.

She gently backed up and looked at his face, "For telling me. That was terrible what you went through."

"Sally..." he looked at her beautiful blue eyes. She hugged him again and her hand snuck into her pocket. Her fingers fished through her pocket until they felt something smooth and cool. The blue marble-shaped stone was pulled out and she wished that he was freed from the curse.

Sonic's hand stroked her red golden highlighted hair, not realising what she held. He never noticed how nice her hair looked in the light. She looked at the stone sadly and thought _sorry, Sonic, but I don't know how to fix this for you..._

When she looked up the way his green eyes looked into her blue eyes captivated hers. He leaned slightly forward and she thought _are we going to kiss?_ The hedgehog kissed her lightly and she fell into it fast _I guess he cannot be that bad of person..._

She then realised what she was doing and backed up. Both looked at each other breathlessly. Sally then noticed another interesting fact about his face.

It was no longer see-through.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the long wait, guys. I had run into this huge writer's block and with having so much happening to me , it was becoming difficult to get back into my fanfiction. And before I forget, I would like to thank everyone for their encouraging comments and reveiws. I hope there would not be loop holes (since there was such a gap). Anyhow, with no dely, I will present the next chapter :**  
Chapter 9

Memories of young Maria's face ran through the ultimate life form's mind. Her blue eyes were closed in her innocence, and her once soft golden hair was a tangled mess from the fall.

As Shadow helped clean up Amy's bakery at the end of the day, he could still remember that time, the time when people began to distrust him and his power.

Years ago, when he was injured from a fight, a friendly village elder named Gerald took him in and helped him heal. Lying on a couch while a wet cloth sat on his forehead, his black eyelids began to flutter. They slowly revealed his red eyes, which instantly surveyed his new, strange surroundings.

The trees no longer swayed over his black and red highlighted hair. Instead was a white ceiling where a crystal chandelier dangled in the sunlight. Beautiful light seeped through the window, which had heavenly white curtains tied back by grey cords.

His head tilted up to note that the house keeper had to have been excellent at preserving the beauty in the room's tidiness. Surely this could not have been right. It had to have been a dream that he was still experiencing. A monster like him never leaves the boundaries of a forest. His species only live off the land or never dwell in anything so human.

He eventually sat up and gave the place another look over until his searching stopped at the doorway. A dark shadow stood there as it leaned against the doorframe. The position of the body and the curves on its sides told him a female stood there. What was more her height was a whole foot shorter than he. Pointy ears sat on her neatly combed short curly hair, but the color was difficult to determine in the dark entrance. In her curved hands sat a white coffee mug, from which she gently drank.

Steam rose from the cup and curled around her fuzzy muzzle. This woman, she had no aura that proved that she had a supernatural power. She was pure Mobian.

The woman lowered her cup with an, "Ah, there is nothing as satisfying as a good cup of hot chocolate. Would you care for some?" She motioned that she was willing to head back to the kitchen, "There is a kettle full of hot water. I have more than enough hot chocolate powder to feed an army."

No answer came from him. He still held no trust for her, a mortal no less. It was genuinely odd that she had the nerve to speak to him as though she was his equal. Such a mistake must be instantly corrected.

A tired scowl was shot at the stranger as he quietly muttered, "I care not for food."

His head turned to look away from her since he had no desire to stare at her face, even though the darkness forbade him one look at it. She tilted her head at him until she cracked a smile and said, with closed laughing eyes, "Of course you do, silly. How else will you live? You can't live off air."

It made him quickly turn his head at her thinking _is this woman for real?_

She caught a good view of his face and his shaky red eyes, which flashed in anger. Softly tilting her head down, she said in a disheartened whisper, "I see...you haven't properly healed. Don't worry," her face looked back at him again with concerned eyebrows, "This will all blow over soon, and you won't even remember that you were hurt. What happened? Is there anything that I could do to help you?"

Shadow slightly backed away as he sat with his feet on the cushions, eyeing her as though he was close to freaking out due to a fact that he did not enjoy. He was confused by her actions. After fighting a tough foe, he was struck by a weird wave only to be rendered unconscious. Why would this woman dare to be so adventurous and stick her nose into his business? Did she not realise that the red stripes on his body indicated that he was a full blooded werewolf? Sure his little brother had nothing of the sort, but that was due to his mortal half.

A voice in the back called out, "Young lady, it smells like something is burning. Did you leave anything in the oven?"

Her ears popped up, and she cautiously said, "B...u...r...n...i...n...g…?" She looked back at an older man until some hair strands popped up, and her green eyes grew wide. Bolting down the hallway, Shadow could hear her scream, "MY CAKE!"

A loud crash reached his ears, and he decided to investigate it. The elderly gentleman, who currently stood in the doorway, raised a hand to tell him to remain seated and said, "Rose will be alright. This happens often, but I can assure you there is nothing to worry about. She has the tendency to bounce up again."

Down from the kitchen, Rose yelled, "I'm alight."

The man pointed that way and nodded with a knowing smirk at the werewolf, who only blinked. Shadow's hand slowly released his hold on the cushion, while he sensed that despite that the man before him was human, an old one at that, there something important he had to say.

The elder fixed his glass on his nose and said, "My name is Gerald. As you are probably wondering, this house belongs to me, and I take great pride in it. Ever since I have started this little village, I have always looked for ways to help outsiders and those who have no place to call home. Think of it like a hospital mixed with an orphanage. That hedgehog who spoke with you just now was found wondering around as a lost child. I saw her and took her in as though she were my granddaughter. Poor thing, head to toe was nothing but bruises. Nothing was worn aside from what became rags, and she was too shaken up to tell about where she originated. Although she never speaks of to this very day, it would not surprise me if she were from a very harsh family. Then again, I'm getting too much into her past life. You're a hedgehog, do you know her?"

The black hedgehog sat where he was, unwittingly absorbing every bit of what the man had to say. That creature in the kitchen had no background story, and yet, the werewolf actually found her to be interesting. His face changed as he realised how much curiosity of a pathetic mortal possessed him.

He simply had to leave. Standing up, he proceeded to walk away, saying, "Whether she be orphan or forgetful, I do not care. It all means nothing to me."

The elder man fiddled with the smoke pipe in his mouth and said, "That is true. I cannot expect you to worry too much over someone strange to you, but it would not hurt to get to know her."

"What?" the high and mighty ultimate life form swished around and narrowed his hot blood, red eyes, "Whatever made you think that I wish to spend any more time in this..." A throbbing pain jabbed his side and instinct forced his hand to protect the spot.

The pain pushed him into a single person cushioned seat where it continued to pester him. His hand lifted to his view just to see a red liquid dribble through his fingers. Blood apparently still lingered in his wounds, making it not such an easy means of escape.

The very idea of being held captive due to that was...maddening beyond compare. Nothing so weak should have been holding him back so effectively. Truth be told, it was embarrassing. If his enemies had gotten a whiff of his state, they would have all been laughing at his face.

Footsteps invaded the room, and Shadow lowered his hand. A shadow stretched over the floor, and once again, Rose stood at the door frame. Fresh cake rested on a frilly pink and white plate, safely cradled in her grasp.

Laughing, she asked, "Anyone up for a piece? Made it myself, and it is straight from scratch." Her smile and laughing halted when her eyes rested on Shadow. Seconds after staring, she freaked out and hurriedly said, "Oh no, you're bleeding!" Swinging her view back and forth in panic, she stuttered, "B...bandages, b...bandages...oh, where were they put?!"

Some form of amusement danced on his dark muzzle as she turned around all flustered. Nothing has ever appeared so vulnerable or interesting to him. This has indeed become an eventful day for him. Her bare pink hands grabbed her cheeks as she said with closed, panicked eyes, "This—this—this is terrible! You…you could be bleeding out...and...and...it...will be my fault...because…because...I was too slow to find the first aid." And with that, she fell to her knees and had set the cake on the floor with an 'I've failed' look on her face.

Her fingers played with the ground, rubbing the rough wooden texture. Everything in the room stayed quiet as both looked at her.

Shadow glanced at her overreacting and slowly walked her way. Stepping in front of her so then she would look up, he said, "This cake. Was it your handy work?" A pink hand wiped the tears from her muzzle as Rose gave her nod. A surprising soft smile came from him when he said, "Then tell me..." Her trembling green eyes looked at him as expectations of insults grew, and he smoothly crouched in front of her, "Why do we not have some?"

"You want some of my cake…?" a warm, but pretty blush filled her delicate cheeks as she fiddled with her hands. Her movement slowed to a halt when she finally noticed something, "Hey, wait a minute, you shouldn't be moving around so much. You'll lose more blood."

Her eyes turned to the left where Gerald came into view. In his hands was the missing first aid kit, which he had picked up, and he handed it to her, saying, "No worries, my Dear. I have them right here."

She gratefully took it from him, and opened it, "Thanks, Gerald." Her hand reached to the back of her head, "I would be totally lost without you." The girl crawled closer to the patient and held out her hands that grabbed the cloth bandages from the kit, "Here, I will try wrapping them."

He watched in curiosity as she had perfectly wrapped the stretchy cloth around his bleeding side. Every minute she had spent wrapping it was done in pure gentleness. Once the last bit was tied, she ran her hand over her job to ensure it was secure. This warmth her presence gave, it was so unlike what he had ever experienced.

What did this female possess that he, the Ultimate Life Form, lacked all those years? Surely no mortal girl could ever fill his black monster heart. Their eyes met. The more he looked the more he could see her soft, silky pink hair under the setting sunlight. It reflected it as though unearthly and would have been fitting to sit amongst the starry sky.

"Grandpa," a small, but cute voice rang from the door that led outside, "may I have a cookie?"

It made Shadow turn his head to where a small girl, shorter than he, stood at the cracked open doorway. Delicate golden curls tangled together over her rosy cheeks, and eyes bluer than deep water watched Gerald with much determination. She looked darling wearing a white tuque that had a rainbow rim and with a thick hot pink scarf beneath her chin.

Gerald pulled out his smoke pipe, and his bushy eyebrows rose above his glasses in interest. If looked carefully, bits of black could be seen in them.

Pleased at the child's presence, he smiled and said, "Of course you may. There should be some in the kitchen."

The five-year-old giggled and closed the door, filled with hope of sinking her teeth into a chocolate chip cookie that was, no doubt, baked by Rose. Rose looked the child's way as the girl pulled off her light blue jacket, and the hedgehog quickly lifted her cake above the ground.

The pink hedgehog called, "Wait, before you go, would you like a piece of cake instead?" Stopped in her tracks, the human girl backed into the room with interest. She eyed the frosted cake in Rose's hands until a toothless smile grew on her countenance.

As the girl said, "Yeah!" and ran to see the cake, Shadow watched the child. He had no interest in making too much contact with these mortals, but it seemed that none of them cared that a werewolf stood in their midst. Even worse, they dared to aid him and heal his injuries.

Gerald broke the werewolf's train of thought when he said, "Sweet child my granddaughter." He motioned to the five-year-old with his pipe, "Unfortunately with her parents gone, it is entirely up to me to ensure a healthy future for her."

Shadow glanced the middle-aged man's way through the corner of his red eye. He finally asked Gerald, "That girl, Rose is a Mobian. Why help her? Surely humans take no heed or interest in their welfare."

The old man looked at him before sticking his pipe back into his mouth, "It seems to be an unpopular view now days, but it was my son and daughter-in-law's belief that both could live together in peace. We say that everyone is receiving the same treatment, but the truth is, if one side continues to despise the other, the hate will never leave, and there will be endless bickering. By helping others, regardless of what species they are, I hope to close the gap between them."

"Close...the gap...?"

Shadow's red eyes returned to the two girls, and he completely turned their direction. Rose placed a slice of cake onto the child's plate and took out another green, plastic plate.

Excited, the granddaughter charged to where Shadow stood and held out the piece to him, saying, "Here you go, this one's all yours. Amy told me you could have it."

The black, red, and white hedgehog raised an eyebrow and said, "Amy?"

A happy, energetic nod came from the child, "Yep. And after we eat, we could all play a game!"

"You are mistaken, I do not do games..." before he could put a damper on the girl's idea, the child skipped away to gather her share of desert.

Laughter came from Gerald, who explained, "You are probably wondering about who this Amy is." An index was aimed at Rose, who inserted a knife into the cake, "Rose was the only name she had when I had discovered her in the snow ten years ago. She was only six then, but I could clearly count the bruises and cuts she had then. It is a surprise and wonder to me that she is the happy go lucky person I know today. Ever since I had taken her into my village to live among my people, she became as close as family. And when my granddaughter, Maria entered our lives about three months ago, Rose has done all that she could to make her feel at home. In return, Maria has been calling Rose 'Amy.' I'm not a hundred percent sure why, but Rose seems to like hearing it."

Shadow watched the man spill out the odd story about Rose. He looked at her carefully while acknowledging that perhaps Gerald mentioned all of this because he wanted answers about her past but had nowhere to look for them. It was more than obvious that he wished to help this Rose, and it was becoming clear that he wanted everyone to befriend his precious Maria. Questions still stirred in the back of Shadow's mind, but all was sure to surface. As his eyes narrowed, he was able to feel it.

"Aren't you going to eat it? It's alright if you don't. Not everyone is a fan of sweets," Rose said as she playfully tilted her head with her hands behind her back.

Shadow decided to try some, but he was still cautious watching everyone. Sensing the friendliness around him, he hastened his eating. Everything about it was delicious. Ever since that day, he decided to allow those strangers to enter his heart. But then there was the cruel awaiting fate which was to change everything forever.

August came around. Playful laughter interrupted Shadow's sleep outside as Maria made circles around his tree. The young five-year-old who made him her older brother refused to leave him alone that day. He tried to ignore her presence and lie perfectly still under the oak but her laughter made resting an impossibility.

He lazily lifted a heavy eyelid and saw her holding her hands behind her back with a trouble-making face. She looked at him like a puppy and whined, "Will you play with me...?"

Smirking, he closed both eyes and said, "Nope." His tone was serious, but the look on his face told the girl that he was in a teasing mood.

"Aw...you're no fun..." She plopped onto the ground, looking pouty.

To her shock, Shadow jumped and tickled her, saying: "About that last comment...I believe you owe me an apology."

Through her uncontrolled laughter, the little girl said, "N—N—No," and popped out of his grasp.

She made a face at him, but he quickly followed. Squealing in laughter, she ran as fast as she could. Shadow naturally could outrun her, but he allowed her to have a head start.

Crouched down while she ran to a nearby hill, he bolted towards her. He leapt from tree to tree and stopped when he saw Amy collecting berries. His red eyes shot from her to Maria who was hiding in a patch of tall grass on the hill.

Next to him was a long green hose.

His black ears curled, and an evil smirk went on his face. A green light surrounded him until he teleported with chaos control and he reappeared by the hose.

Amy continued to hum her sweet, innocent tune while she collected the black berries for her mouth and pail. A burst of water collided with her back and made her give out a loud squeal. The high pitch yell made Maria pop her head out of the grass and look at Amy.

With Maria distracted with what was happening with Amy, Shadow managed to take her by surprise and grab the little girl. Maria laughed at how Shadow caught her.

It was then that a small mallet was thrown at his noggin.

He rubbed his head and looked down at the hammer in the grass. His red eyes looked up and saw a huffing and puffing Amy running up the hill.

"Shadow!" she yelled in a soaking wet dress.

He smirked at Amy's funny face and patted Maria on the head, saying, "I have to leave before Rose gets too violent for you."

Growling, Amy Rose called out, "Violent? I'm not violent" The small evil laugh could be heard under his breath as he dodged her first attempt to cream him into the dirt. He took off into another tree to lead Amy to a different spot.

Woe to him for leaving Maria alone for a couple seconds.

While Shadow was annoying Amy in another tree, she was glaring at him, holding a larger mallet. He was leaning against his arm, amused at her hilarious reaction to being sprayed with water. The way her face changed made him want to do it again.

She furiously waved her fist in the air, "Get out of that tree, you annoying hedgehog."

He tapped his chin, looking down at her, "I don't know...to be honest, I kind of like the view up here."

Shadow's eyes grew when he saw how fast her mallet tripled in size and he leapt out of the tree in time. The tree was knocked over by her oversized hammer and crashed onto the dirt.

Standing onto his feet, he mockingly said, grabbing her wrist, "Temper, temper..."

It made her blush red, and she tried to move her hand. It was locked in his grasp. In her panic, she released the mallet, and it landed on his head.

He looked down at her annoyed with flattened ears as the hammer rolled off his black and red head. A nervous laugh came from Amy as she said, "Ah...heh…heh…heh...Bye!"

She slipped out of his grasp (it was not holding her too tightly after the hammer unexpectingly landed on his head), and her feet were moving fast.

Shadow calmly reached out his hand and grabbed her tail. He lightly pulled her and made her fall into his arms. A pink shade darkened her pale skin tone as she looked up at Shadow. It was never difficult for him to make her feel awkward.

He whispered, "Come on, you're not going to keep looking sore, are you?" The hedgehog nuzzled into her face, making her laugh.

A high pitch sound teased his ears, which he turned his head towards. Something was not right. He could feel it. Amy stopped her laughing upon seeing his concerned face, "Sha—Shadow? What is it?—"

She was slowly, but carefully released as her black, red, and white friend cautiously moved towards the disturbance. No answer came from him. None could come, especially when something about the sound almost made his heart flutter, an alarming thing to occur.

A tall fern leaf tickling his cheek was yanked as he examined the close by forest. Deeply inhaling the air, he felt his fur tingle at the unexpected: blood.

Amy tip-toed behind him and asked once more, "Shadow? What are you?—"

"Get down!" he yelled.

"Huh?" the weight of his body and jumped pulled her onto the lawn just as something sharp flew overhead.

It made a U-turn in its swiftness and swung over their heads again, earning a quick screech from the pick girl. Amy held onto her ears in her panic. Shadow eyed its movements as his speedy vision picked up the twirling boomerang. Metal curved around its tips, adding a menacing sharpness to it.

It buzzed into the woods ahead where silence fell. Perhaps the attacker knew better than to just attack in the open where he stood no chance against a monster like Shadow.

Shadow stood up and zipped into the forest with an anger that he could not describe. What he could do, however, was show it ten good hits and some well-aimed chaos spears.

He leapt over a large boulder and pulled back an oak branch. Amy was on his tail the entire time and had to force herself to venture through the unruly trees and roots until she reached him. Lucky for her, he stopped to gaze upon something.

Whatever it was, it made his fist clench. The girl behind him stretched her neck to see it for herself. Breath escaped her throat in pure horror.

Blond hair was scattered along the twisted roots and large leaves. Attached to the hair was a tiny limp body that still had the cutest face. A lifeless look stayed on her face, colored her sweet face, and yet there was a blood stain over her clothes, right where her heart once pulsed.

A chilling wind swept over the Ultimate Life Form's face, and Amy's hands crawled up her arms. Her shivering and heavy breathing was the only sound heard, but Shadow's glare could almost be described as a heat that continued to burn into the cold air.

The child, Maria was still and yet so innocent because she did not realise that she was about to die. Her death was so sudden and what was even more revolting was how another human's stench filled the air.

Her killer?

It was possible. No other scent lingered. It only made sense, and yet it did not. A child so sweet was slain, and Maria was far the kind who would create enemies. Someone had to pay.

His fist clenched as he turned around. Many people were gathered behind him, making him swear in his head _how did I not sense their presence?_ Truth was he was too stunned by his friend's passing that nothing earned his attention.

All of them whispered to one another, and one human with a worn down face glared at him. Shadow returned the glare just as he noticed a disturbing fact. That man was covered in Maria's blood. He was her killer. He had to be.

Shadow quietly growled, "Why?"

Everyone looked, and worry entered Amy's face as someone from the crowd asked, "Why, what?"

He ignored who spoke and continued to look. The hedgehog approached the people who backed away as though afraid of something. He glanced from left to right, not sure if he liked it. It has been centuries since people trembled in his presence. As much as he was fond of being the intimidating one, it seemed odd. Humans have long forgotten that werewolves existed along with vampires and other monsters. They had no reason to dread him.

He reached for the murderer, who jumped away and yelled in fear.

Shadow simply said, watching him, "Is it my strength that frightens you?" His eyes closed as he calmly said with a tired expression, "Nay, perhaps it is guilt eating away at your soul. No matter," he opened his red eyes with next to no emotion and slowly approached him, "What difference will it make when it is you who will perish after what you have done, unless you have something to say for yourself?"

Someone yelled, "Hold on, a minute, you can't talk to him like that!"

A single menacing glance from Shadow was all it took to quiet the outburst. Amy looked horrified at Shadow and felt that something had to be done before it was too late. She touched his tensed shoulder which did nothing to gain his attention. He was truly absorbed in his anger.

Everyone gathered closer, making Shadow feel more threatened, and a low growl grew from his throat. His already narrowed red eyes glanced back and forth as he wondered if the time was right to unleash a supernatural attack.

Just as soon as his hand backed up, Amy slipped in between him and the crowd with her extended hands. Facing the crowd, she sucked in some breath and spat out, "Hold on a minute, before this gets out of hand, will everyone…stop...and think...for...just...one...second?!"

All eyes fell on her as everyone gave her hardened expressions. One man asked, "Are you protecting that murderer?"

"Murderer?" She glanced back, and her eyebrows softened as her mouth slightly hung open. It was more than clear that they assumed that Shadow had murdered the little girl who was a little sister to her. Shaking her head at the very thought that the people had the nerve to come up with such false accusations, she looked at them again, "Shadow is no murderer. He has always cherished Maria as much as I do. I don't believe he would do such a horrible thing. I trust him!"

After briefly glancing at one another, the accuser gave her direct eye contact, "Then your loyalties were poorly placed."

"Wait, what are you…?"

Every other person stepped aside, revealing a rather gruesome image to the hedgehog couple. The entire village had been wiped out. Many people were dead on the ground, on roofs, and against fences. Like Maria, they were hit in the heart.

Shadow's eyes briefly widened before he narrowed them again, thinking _do they truly believe me to be this horrid beast that slaughters those who have taken him into their home?_

Amy shook her head as snow began to fall, saying, "You are wrong! Listen to yourselves. Shadow was with me the entire time. What you are thinking makes no sense. There is no possible way for him to be in two places at the same time." Here magic powers were aching to be used, even though everyone was oblivious to that fact.

Shadow glanced around and thought _snow? In summertime?_

"So naïve," the man muttered as he took one step forward. Out of instinct, Shadow pulled her behind him with a protective glare, "Open your eyes. He is to not be trusted. Something fast swept into this village and killed everything here. Geoffrey St. John was right when he said that those bearing strange colors are not reliable."

Those last words seemed to have cut through Rose's heart as a hurt look was on her. The reason for that was there were not many pink hedgehogs around, or multicolored ones like Shadow. Both of them possessed unique colors. Shadow glanced at her worriedly until he glared at the man again. He pushed Amy behind him more, feeling very inclined to put the man out of his misery.

A skunk, who had a wicked grin, stepped out of the crowd. The people looked at him, and the man said, "There you are, Geoffrey. I was starting to wonder if you got lost somewhere."

A cocky grin was shot from the skunk, who only shrugged and said, "Nah, I didn't think I had to show up, seeing how," he looked at the two hedgehogs, "you seem to have everything taken care of. Multicolored hedgehogs used to called bad luck in ancient times because everyone believed that they were the markings of a monster. It seems that those superstitious folk were onto something."

The people looked at each other as they loudly discussed what Geoffrey had said. Amy closed her eyes as tears began to form, and she shakenly yelled, "You're all wrong!"

Shadow looked at her with a softened face, thinking _she's crying..._ His fist clenched _those fools will pay dearly for that..._

He charged for the skunk to punch him, but Geoffrey stepped out of the way. Kneeling on the ground, while Shadow went to fight, Amy's entire body began to shake. Shadow glanced back at her while in midair and carefully looked at her with a worried look.

He looked down and landed on Geoffrey, saying, "You made her cry. For that I should give you your just desert!"

A large light shone on Shadow, and a strong wind picked up around everyone. Over their heads was a large military helicopter labeled with the initials, G. U. N. Fear seized every bit of Amy's body even more when a net was fired at him. Large amounts of electricity was surged through the multicolored hedgehog and made Shadow pass out on the ground. Geoffrey crawled out from under him and looked up at the other landing choppers that carried a good sized army.

Amy thought with shrunken irises, _why did the government send their military out here?_ To her left she noticed the army's commander approach them with his hands behind his back. As they hauled Shadow away, he began to regain consciousness but the shackles that they placed on him prevented him from moving. They were scientifically improved to restrain super-powered enemies.

He tried to escape, but struggle was pointless. Instead he, squirmed and yelled, "You're making a big mistake. I didn't do anything. That man over there," he pointed at the man who had Maria's blood on him, "killed her."

The man he had pointed to said, "Huh?" Wondering what Shadow was talking about, the commander looked at him and asked him to clarify that. The man explained, "I had happened to be walking by when suddenly something fast zipped by and threw a boomerang at one of our villager girls. This one was named Maria. I checked to see if she was okay, but it was already too late. Anyways, the only one capable of moving that speed is Shadow. I even have it on film."

The commander raised an eyebrow, asking, "Why was there a recording?"

"I was recording the scenery, but when I saw it happen, it was left on, and I have it right here if you would like to analyze it."

Amy watched as the camera was taken, and she was also forced to watch Shadow being hauled away into the helicopter as though he was a big criminal. It was not fair. Running to the commander, she asked to come along, saying, "I don't want to leave him. He's still my friend."

While she asked that, Shadow noticed as he was forced to sit on a bench, a boomerang identical to one used to attack him earlier rested at Geoffrey's side. His red eyes grew as he realised a horrible truth as Amy climbed into the aircraft and sat next to him.

It was now clear who the real killer was, and yet there was nothing that could have been done about it. Amy rested a hand on his, and he snapped out of his train of thought. Looking at her with a less upset face, he rubbed a thumb over her hand and said, "You should not have come, Amy."

She placed another hand onto his and gave a firm grip before she said, "That's where you are wrong. I know it was not you. Even if you were not with me, I know it was never you."

He was silent for a moment before looking away, "That's where you are being foolish."

Rose tilted her head, "Hmm? How am I being foolish?"

"You...trust total strangers...I'm surprised that you have survived this long."

A soft smile came from him, "I was not always this trusting. It was all thanks to the village elder, Gerald that I could see the beauty in everything, no matter how they might look. I take it that not many people liked you before?"

He slowly looked back at her until he sat up more with his hands folded together between his knees. One more look was given to her before running them through his black and red hair, "No, not really. If anything getting by without someone calling me weak or worthless was nearly impossible. But that was because..." His words slowed to a halt, which made her tilt her head.

In his head, he added _because my little brother was half werewolf._ If Amy had heard that, she would not believe him. It was very apparent that things like that did not exist in that world. When the last monster he had fought with had made him unconscious, it must have transported him to this strange time.

She touched his shoulder, "Because of what?"

A slight smile grew on him, "Because there was a black sheep in my family."

"I see..." she watched the ground, "Tell me something, what made this person a black sheep? Was it something he did?" He did not give an answer, and a knowing look came from her. It looked kind of sad, "I don't know anything about you or your family, but I think it is silly to blame others for things that are not their fault. Where I was from, before I lived at the village, no one liked me or cared that I even existed."

 _Is she telling me what the elder was unable to pry from her for years?_ Shadow thought as he listened to what she had to say. She continued, "You could kind of say there was a black sheep in my family that no one liked," her pink fingers ran through her glossy pink hair, "except...I was the..."

She was unable to finish, but Shadow grabbed both of her shoulders, "You were the black sheep? But why would that be? There is nothing wrong with you..." He then remembered what Geoffrey said, "Don't tell me that it was because of your pink hair? That's stupid. Who cares what color it is?! If anyone dares to judge you because of that again, they'll have to answer to me."

She looked at him, feeling very much surprised. He had gotten it dead on. No one liked people born with pink hair because it was weird. She softly thought _Shadow..._

He looked outside as white fluffy clouds swept past and asked her, "So, why are you called Amy? I know from Gerald that Maria started calling you that, but why 'Amy' in particular?"

"Well," she blushed red, "Maria was looking at a book about plants and had found the section about roses. She pointed a pink rose and said that it matched my fur color," her hands landed on her cheeks as she shyly smiled, "both of us laughed about it, but when she asked if she could call me that, I had told her that I did not mind."

He raised an eyebrow, "Despite that wasn't your name, you allowed someone to nickname you?"

She lowered her hands, "There didn't seem to be any harm, and besides," her hands fiddled with each other, "That was my mother's name, and I loved her so much that I didn't see any harm in having her name too."

It indeed seemed that the pink girl had a kind heart, and it was definitely seen in her friendship with Maria. Both fell silent at the thought of their lost friend. Amy's head rested on Shadow's shoulder, which made him stiffen and turn to her. Her pink hair was so close that he could pick up her scent. It had a bit of flowery smell about it, almost like a rose. How appropriate it was for someone to smell like their namesake.

They were taken to GUN headquarters where the commander waited for them. He sat in his black leather desk chair, leaning against his folded hands. Under his thick white eyebrows, his piercing green eyes glanced at the two being brought to him.

As soon as they were alone, the commander told them, "I have seen what the video had to offer, but it seems that there no other evidence aside from the speed that you had killed the village. But our best forensic scientists are working at their hardest to uncover the killer. So far there was no mention of it matching a hedgehog's DNA, but in the meantime, you will be watched by me. While we wait for results," he stood up and walked towards them and dragged his hand along the wooden desk, "you could work for us."

Shadow narrowed his eyes, but the commander explained, "You are no doubt thinking that there is no way on Earth that you will do this, but let me assure you that there is more. It might even appeal to you somehow." The black hedgehog said nothing but listened, "I have gone over the video twenty times, and it is apparent that the killer was not black like you Shadow. I had to use the computer to slow down the images. They show that it was someone who was either wearing green or had green fur. Even though it was slowed down, everything was still too blurry."

The ultimate life form crossed his arms and asked, "So what if I'm not the killer?"

"Well, Shadow, I cannot help clear your name unless we obtain proper evidence that someone else was responsible. I was hoping that you would be interested in bringing the real crook to justice, but it doesn't seem like you are interested..."

"I never said I had no interest," Shadow interrupted. He cautiously glanced at the human's eyes. It did not seem like he was bluffing or leading him into a plan. Not to mention that revenge on the wrongdoer did have some appeal to him, "Very well then, I will go along with this idea of yours, however," he gave a steady gaze that made his eyes almost look like they glowed, "Turn on me, and you will wish this conversation never happened."

The commander nodded, but he had no fear for the Mobians in front of him. To him, they were beneath the humans. For some time after, Shadow had worked for GUN, but despite how much Amy had pleaded to help him work for them, he has always kept her away from there. So instead she had gotten into setting up her bakery.

At the present day, Shadow clutched onto the dish cloth and stopped wiping down the counter. Everything has become so complex since that day, and what has made it worse was the fact that he was still unable to find the evidence about who had killed Maria. Until that day had come, he was sure that he would be unable to move on with life.

While he stood there as the sun's setting light bounced around the room, Amy had watched him from the kitchen doorway. She sucked in some breath and moved towards him. Some movement made his ears twitch, but it did not give him enough reason to investigate.

A cloth held by someone else slid beside him on the counter, and a pink hand had its fingers clinging onto it. He knew immediately who it belonged to, and an actual smile was on him, not a cocky smirk, but a mark of happiness caused by kindness. He knew all too well that life was sticky and sometimes something tempting to run away from, but there were moments when it was sweet and one of the best things one could experience.

She asked, "You know I love you, right?"

Shadow glanced back at the mortal spirited girl, and he said, "Of course I do. It is rather obvious. Were it not for you and Maria, I, the Ultimate Life Form Shadow, would have never learned to love mortal."

They moved closer, and Shadow wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Bending over, his chin rested on her head as she started to warmly smile. No matter what has happened, they always had each other, and both knew deep down, that nothing could ever beat that.


	10. Chapter 10

Sonic waited impatiently as Sally stepped out of the bakery. It was high time that they headed back home to kick back and relax. As Sally turned around after pushing the glass door, she waved bye again.

He grabbed her hand to gain her attention and asked, "We going yet?"

"Well yeah, of course," she instantly answered, thinking _whoa, is it just me, or has it gotten hot around here? Is that really all it takes, just one touch from him to make me feel this way?_

She reached for her loose red and golden highlighted hair and tucked it behind her pointy ear. Sonic then said, "Then let's move. My stomach tells me that a million pieces of chicken with my name waits for me."

Looking over his shoulder to look at him, she said, "Someone's hungry. Why didn't you tell me? I could have given you something or lend you some money to buy something good to eat."

His arms crossed as he began to show some awkwardness, "Uh, because, you looked busy, and I didn't want to interrupt you. And plus, you look like you needed the cash and food more than I do."

Her face softened. Out of concern, he did not ask for food or money. How kind, and yet she would not have guessed that he had it the day they had met. This was truly a side that she did not get to see…until now...

Suddenly snapped out of her daydreaming, his hands grabbed onto her and pulled her into his arms. Her big blue eyes blinked, barely acknowledging what was happening.

Steadily holding onto her with a careful grip, he said, "By the way, Sally," he looked back at her with a slightly happy face, "you might want to hold on."

"Hold on?" she repeated, suddenly feeling the butterflies in her stomach rolling around and teasing her nerves.

Before she could ask further questions, he moved. The speed, the incoming wind, and the blurring vision from all sides, had swept past her as she could clearly see some sort of bluish shield in front of them. Never had she gone that fast, not even when he had carried her the first time. It was all completely different, and so refreshing. Strangely moving that speed should be making her head spin and pass out, but something about him prevent such a thing to occur.

His feet were like lightening, his greens eyes were focused on whatever stood ahead of them, and the grip he had was both strong and gentle.

As her scarlet hair whipped around her surprisingly gentle a building stood in their path, "Sonic," she breathed, hoping he would see it. "Sonic," she repeated, still nothing was said by him. Finally taking a deep breath, she screamed, hanging onto him more, "That building! Look out!"

Slightly tilting his head with a troublemaking face, he said, "No worries, Sally."

She stopped and looked at him oddly, still hanging on as she embraced the life-ending impact. They were going to die, but despite that, an unbreakable trust had formed within her soul.

His hands allowed her more comfort as they came within an inch of the structure. They still did not stop. As his foot touched the wall, all seemed to be over for the two. Then suddenly, within two blinks, they had moved _through_ the wall and entered the other side.

Looking back at where they had materialized through, Sally thought _did he just...were we…? That move should have creamed us...so why didn't it? On top of which, everything about the speed we going in seems almost unnatural. I should be unconscious, my hair blowing in my face should become like harsh whips, and I should even be able to see much of anything. Is this a part of his power to travel at such a strange speed?_

"Alright, now let's start cooking!" Sonic said as they screeched to a halt.

"Huh?" she scanned the area as she came to the realisation that they were already home, inside her house.

Carefully stepping out of his arms, she touched her hair to find it a mess like she had suspected. A comb sitting in her small black purse was pulled out, and she raced upstairs to her room. Still where she had left it, the handheld mirror that Amy gave her some time ago still remained on the dresser.

Sally was about to grab it, but the memory of the freaky incident with it earlier made her pull her hand back. Whatever came out of it was still a mysterious, but considering the powers Amy apparently had the entire time it was highly possible that Amy might know something. It was also possible that she had forgotten that something dangerous had lived in it.

There was a knock on the door, which had sent a tingle ran down Sally's spin, especially when it had swung open and tapped the wall. It could have been Elise, but that did not make sense, since his soccer game should have been happening, and their mom was still on her day shift until eleven at night.

A voice behind her said, "Did you feel that?"

Sonic stood behind her when she had spun around. He looked at her with worried green eyes, glancing around the area. She nodded, "Uh huh. What do you think…?"

"Shh..." a gloved hand from him covered her mouth as he turned his head back and forth.

His hand slowly lowered from her as he completely turned around and stared downstairs. Without warning, he dove that way and leapt over the railing. Sally quickly followed, dying to know what was there. Whatever it was, it had to be bad, otherwise, her fur would not be sticking up so much.

Her left hand clutched onto the black, hand railing as she felt her heart beat faster. At last, she had reached the bottom where a certain skunk stood at the entrance. That skunk was Geoffrey, and in his hand was box wrapped up in brown paper.

His eyes quickly turned to where Sally stood as his face began to light up, and walking past Elise, he said, "Ah, Sally. There you are. I was told by a friend to drop this off with you..."

"Hey, wait a minute, what are you doing," he had placed his hand above her head, cornering her, "here..."

A troublemaking smirk came from him, "Heh," his finger moved up to her hair and twirled it, "don't worry, it was already unlocked so I decided to surprise you with a visit. Pretty clever, huh?"

Not much more was said or done because a certain blue hedgehog interrupted him with a single landing in front of the skunk.

"End of the line, jerk!" He had pulled Geoffrey away from the squirrel and punched his head, "She ain't interested in some smelly old trash that stinks like a cat has gone on it ten times."

Geoffrey was sent flying by the hit but was able to recover. Sally's eyes grew in panic, but she was able to breath with relief. She had a strange feeling about Geoffrey before, but this was not something that she expected. He must have figured out that she only had her brother and mother at the house, but they were not always there. And as for her father, he was in a different town.

Sonic stood in a fighting position as Geoffrey pulled out a boomerang and hurled it at the hedgehog. Smirking cockily, Sonic dodged it, yawned, and ran towards his enemy. Geoffrey saw him coming and managed to move out of the way, surprisingly fast.

Sally's jaw dropped as she watched the skunk perform the high-speed flip over Sonic, and her ocean blue eyes became wide in shock. A blue light flashed before them, nearly hitting Sonic as well. It had a familiar feel to it that Sally was not likely to forget in a long while. It was the same light that flew out of her mirror.

For some reason, it returned there, and right before everyone it began to transform. A figure of a woman started to take shape, and as it had done so, Sonic's fangs slightly showed. It was hard for Sally to ignore the low but dangerous sounding growl from her blue friend.

Was this what had made her and Sonic feel threatened? If that was so, whatever stood there, changing into a Mobian or a human, was possibly stronger and more sinister than Geoffrey St. John.

While this change was taking place, two other hedgehogs were walking down the path to Sally's door, holding something under a black cloth to protect it from the approaching down pour. The two strangers stopped in their tracks and rushed over to the excitement. The shorter one of the two, who was holding the object, stopped and walked to the side to carefully put down the covered thing.

The taller black hedgehog grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the house where Sonic was about have the fight of his life.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

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 **Sorry this took so long. I had gotten busy with another story while having a little bit of a writer's block. The next chapter will be posted next week. Thanks for reading.**

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Sonic did not wait for the transformation to complete. He immediately took the chance to jump towards the thing. Sally gasped and reached out her hand when she saw that, saying, "Sonic!"

It was too late. He had already landed on what looked like a woman. A powerful blast was sent from her when a screeching yell came, and Sonic was sent flying into a wall. It made a hole there, and Sally rushed to his side. He looked bruised on both sides, and some black covered his quills from burn marks.

She looked horrified at what had become of him and tried shaking him in hopes that he would wake. Nothing happened. He was out cold from the blast.

A crystalized arrow landed before them, sticking into the floor board as if it were butter. Sally quickly turned her head that way, feeling like a rabbit being presented to a pack of wolves. The desire to leave and run for her life was so strong, but with Sonic like that, it was not part of her plan. There was no room in her heart to do it. Even though she was not likely to make it, she had to be strong, strong enough to take the pain and find a way to save Sonic's life.

Looking left to right, she pulled Sonic in hopes of transporting him to another room. Another arrow made of the same substance as the other had cut her off. Floating above the ground was a Mobian fox with hair as black as night, eyes bluer than sapphires as her superior face was given to everything else in the room.

The fox glided closer as a crystalized staff grew in her grip. Its end, however, sharpened and with a wicked tip that told Sally that it was no walking stick. Their strange attacker spun the spear around a couple of times.

Words, smooth as glass, rolled from her tongue, "Pathetic. Two weaklings together in one spot, waiting to be killed," a sick, twisted smile flashed under the faint light, "this will be fun."

Her arm lifted the staff into the air as Geoffrey said, "Couldn't have said it better myself, Fiona."

"F—Fiona…" Sally quietly uttered, closing her teeth together as nervousness filled her with a dread that couldn't be shaken.

 _This woman, she's the one Sonic mentioned. What could she possibly want?_ Her glance fell to where Sonic remained motionless on the ground. _All this couldn't be because he refused her. Could it?_

Sweat gathered by her face and plastered her scarlet hair against her neck. They were going to die.

Fiona looked at her for a few moments until she made an amused sound and crouched in front of Sally. Her hand stretched over to the squirrel's chin and pulled her close enough to hear, "Listen well. I have never been a fan of mortals or half breeds, but I do enjoy a good laugh."

"How—could you do this?"

"Easily. Just thinking about your terrified face makes me warm all over." Mild lightning was shot from her hand, "Give me some screams! I'm dying to hear them."

The horrible feeling they had sent through Sally's body made her stagger on her knees, but Fiona was careful that blast would not be enough to kill her.

"Any last words, because believe me," electricity could be seen floating behind the fox as she asked her victim, "you won't be able to speak in a long while since you will be too busy yelling in pain."

Sally's hand clutched onto a chair for stability as she turned to look at her attacker under her burns and messy hair. Fear no longer showed in her face. In fact, it was the total opposite of what the fox hoped to see.

If anything, Sally gave her a look of defiance and anger as she plainly said, "I can't believe you. You're so sick." She struggled to return to her feet as Fiona stared with shock.

Fiona quickly moved her arm slightly to the right, not knowing how to take this unexpected act of defiance, "Foolish girl. What chance do you have against me? I only have to summon my lightning strike, and you will be knocked back to your knees."

"Then you will just have to give it your best shot!" The chair was thrown at the fox, who did not expect a mortal girl to react in such a way.

Sally's throw knocked the attacker down while she grabbed Sonic and slipped into another room. A low growl came from Fiona, which Geoffrey immediately heard.

He pulled out a boomerang and said, "Don't sweat it. There're a few tricks I have up my sleeve that I haven't tried yet."

Fiona looked at him, still holding her anger as she coolly spoke, "Heh, that's such a waste. They are only small fry."

"Shows how much you know. Had that blue idiot attacked you instead of the village, you would have been totalled. He has got more power in his pinky than most werewolves."

Fiona thought back about the time when she and Sonic met in the woods where she had that small child, "Honestly, did you ever think I did not know that. What's your point?"

"He won't ever be knocked off unless I pull out the good stuff. I may be able to harness most of my powers in this disguise, but I want him to know who is going to kill him."

She waved out an angry arm, "Fool, do that then we will lose any chance of taking control. I may have been trapped in that hand held mirror, but it was thanks to my magic that I was able to see the outside world. It is apparent that no one believes that we exist anymore. Why ruin the perfect opportunity of striking when everyone lest expects it? It's bad enough that you used your speed so close to Shadow's old home with the humans."

"Alright fine, but when the president marches into town, we make our move."

"Of course," she began to show less anger and more pleasure.

Geoffrey ran into the kitchen where he saw Sally make her escape. When he moved around the corner a wooden stick whacked him in the stomach, "Omph!"

It made him flip and land on his thick soft tail. Sally sat in a corner with Sonic, who was still unconscious. In her arm was a broom that she originally pulled from behind her. Her blue eyes kept strict contact with the skunk who stood up and glanced at her with an annoyed and angered expression. It was clear he was no longer amused.

In fact, the thought of tearing her apart was sitting so well with him. He only had three whole feet before reaching her. His arm moved up where her broom swung and caught it with ease. Desperate to not let him hurt the hedgehog, Sally gritted her teeth.

 _He must not get any closer. I won't let him. Sonic...please...wake up!_

The smooth stained wood slipped through her soft fingers and was held above her face. It was swung down in rapid speed as her eyes closed to prepare for a sore beating at Geoffrey's hand. The glass window to her left ruptured and tapped the black and white tiled floor. Both stopped to glance, but nothing aside from fractured glass sat on the ground where the moonlight shimmered on their jagged surfaces.

Sally blinked, still feeling petrified in fear of what Geoffrey was about to do. But he _was_ distracted, the perfect opportunity to get away. The broom was swung back, almost hitting her, and Geoffrey released it. His arm moved to his side where he pulled out a boomerang.

"Heh, you had your chance, but you lost it the moment you defended blue boy," he said with a cocky grin.

"What's your deal?" Sally asked, looking at him with a dead serious face, while Geoffrey glanced at her, "What did he ever do to you? You could at least tell me that before you kill me."

"Pffthp...isn't that obvious, or are ya that dense?"

"What is?" her blue eyes narrowed at him, trying to figure out what was going on in his mind.

"He's nothing but a worthless half-breed."

"What's wrong with him having mixed blood? I think it's a good thing."

"Oh?"

While she spoke, Sonic became half conscious. Unable to move, all he was able to do was listen to the conversation.

She stayed where she was, not letting Geoffrey get a clear shot at Sonic as she continued, "If anything that means two species could get along. Whenever I think about that, I can't help but be glad that such a wonderful thing could even be possible."

"Heh," before she knew it, he began to spit out a loud laugh, "Hah, ha, ha, ha, ha..." his black furry finger wiped away a tear, "What a load of baloney. Well, I had my laugh. Now where was I before you made that hilarious crack? Oh, yeah I remember." He positioned his boomerang to be thrown, "Time to die!"

The boomerang was thrown at a fast speed. What neither expected, not even Sonic who was stuck on the floor in his grogginess, was another hand to catch the airborne weapon. Shadow lowered his arm after stopping Geoffrey's dangerous toy and sent a cold stare at the skunk.

Sally gave the black hedgehog a look of surprise but was all the same grateful. Seeing how he was the same species as Sonic, they might stand some chance of victory. An evil smirk cracked on Shadow as he said, "Ready to try that one again, Geoffrey St. John?"

The skunk's face quickly changed into horror, and he subconsciously took a step back.

Another person stepped beside Sally and said, "Oh thank goodness you're okay. When Shadow and I came, we heard something going on in the house." It was Amy Rose.

Sally also recalled that her boss possessed the ability to harness magic.

Sonic wanted to get up so badly, but the grogginess still did not go away. Of all times that really sucked. Shadow and Amy came to help, but he was helpless to help the one he had come to care so much for within a week. Sally shouldn't be the one protecting him.

Geoffrey quickly overcame his panic and said, "You don't scare me one bit."

Shadow glanced at him with a bored expression, but silence was all he answered. A few more steps were made, smooth and graceful. Nothing but non-amusement was seen in his neutral face, the face that could make a high and mighty king sit in fearful silence.

Geoffrey turned around and ran, saying, "Fiona, let's move. Quick! Things aren't going according to plan."

Shadow stopped, thinking _Fiona?_

He continued to follow, but instead of moving as though he had all the time he need, he moved swiftly in front of the skunk. In swift movement, he snatched the skunk's arm and glared down at him.

"Tell me of this plan. Delay then consider your life ended."

Geoffrey looked greatly afraid of him, and Amy glanced at Shadow, thinking, _Not even I have seen him like this. He must be so angry. But could I blame him? Geoffrey was the one who ruined our lives at the village. I cannot help but feel that he had something to do with it being attacked, though I can't figure out how and why._

Geoffrey then switched from being scared to suddenly cocky and said, "As if, I'd spill everything to you."

Right before their eyes, an emerald green light emitted from the skunk, which, in turn, made him vanish. Not familiar with the light's odd properties, Amy blinked in confusion as did Sally.

Amy thought out loud, "What was that? He has vanished!"

Sally thought _I have not seen anything like that before. It was so bright and green, but at the same time it has left some energy in the air._

"Chaos..." she hurriedly turned around to where Sonic struggled to stand as he spoke. He turned to where Shadow stood, "control. That's what that slime ball of a skunk just did! He ain't getting away with pulling a stunt like that."

Shadow glanced back before looking again at where Geoffrey made his disappearing act, muttering, "Indeed."

With not another word, he too disappeared in the same kind of light. Sally looked at Sonic again and stopped him from moving anymore, as she said, "You should sit down somewhere. That was a nasty hit."

He shook his head, "Not a chance. Fiona is still here, and while Shadow takes care of Geoffrey, I'm going to at least take care of her." In a flash, he ran back into the other room, shouting, "There's no way I will let him take part of a fight that I was unable to do anything in."

"There's hardly any point in doing that if you are that injured."

Amy said, after watching the whole thing, "Uh, I don't think he could hear you."

Sally crossed her arms, "He's too fast for his own good. I have to go help him." She ran to follow him, "He's liable to get himself killed."

Amy called out, "Wait a minute, Sally."

"What?"

"What do you plan on doing? And who is this Fiona person?"

 _That's right, Amy never heard about Fiona._

"It's a bit of a long story, but let's just say that she has done terrible things to Sonic and is somehow connected with Geoffrey."

"I see. It won't be much, but with my powers, I should be able to do something to help Shadow's little brother."

 _Oh yeah, that's right. Amy has powers like a mage. I guess the only one unable to do anything...is me._

Both entered the room where Sonic once again started another fight with Fiona the fox. The fox dodged his attack from behind, but before she performed another attack, he jumped on her head.

It made her tumble forward, but before she moved again, he jumped on her again. It was annoying the lady to no end, especially when he was moving so fast around her. The way he moved around was enough to drive her insane.

Amy pulled out her hand, in which a ball of white light appeared. Sally watched as she clapped her hands together and closed her eyes as a white energy glowed from her body. Snow blew into the room as a wind blew through her pink hair which lengthened to her knees.

Her green eyes glowed like an emerald fire as she stared at Fiona. The female fox, however, was too busy with Sonic to realise that Amy was getting ready to fight as well.

Having enough of the blue thing doing donuts around her, Fiona used her lighten power again. It did electrocute Sonic, who fell to the floor in pain. On impulse, Sally rushed to his side. Fiona narrowed her deadly blue eyes at Sonic and raised her claws, saying, "I've had enough of you. You will perish. You hear me!"

A burning white fire had struck her shoulder. Even though no visible damage was made, her shoulder still felt the sting of a fire. In her anger, she turned her head, thinking _what is this? That felt like white magic..._

"Hold it right there, Fiona!" Amy stood in a fighting position, trying to make her small body look tough, "This stops now. I won't let you hurt my friends anymore!"

"Oh? Is that right?" Fiona straightened herself out and held out her hands as though grabbing something, and more lighten zapped through the air. "Then I guess I will settle this right now." As her arms moved forward every bolt moved towards the pink girl.

Fiona smirked to herself feeling very sure that was the end of the pink mage. Nothing stood there anymore besides ash, and it made her slowly break into laughter, "Heh, heh, heh...hah, hah, hah, HAH, HAH, that was pathetic!"

Sally and Sonic stared in shock. Amy was gone. There was no possible way for her to survive all of that electricity. A ball of green charged energy struck her side, which made her fall back. She stabilized her stance, slightly burned and looked at the energy's source.

The ultimate life form stood in a fighting position, holding an unconscious Amy in one arm. His glare was quite fearful, and the growing growl he had made the woman pale.

She took a step back, stuttering, "It—it's you...Shadow...How did...How could this be? You should be dead after what happened."

He instantly narrowed his ruby red eyes at her. It was indeed suspicious that she would think that. Sure enough werewolves and the like were considered non-existent, but she knew of an event. It could have been a number of things, but two things crossed his mind. She either tried to kill him in the distant past where mythological creatures thrived, or she had a hand in the lack of werewolves.

Holding onto Amy as tightly as ever, a powerful green energy swirled around him as his eyes actually began to glow. Sally's jaw slightly opened, wondering what was happening, but Sonic looked at him with squinting green eyes.

"He's doing it," he muttered quiet enough for the squirrel to hear him.

She looked down at him, still kneeling at his side, "Doing what?"

"Heh, if I told you right now, it'll ruin our chances." She looked at what Shadow was doing as Sonic told her, "This is something you will have to find out for yourself."

She thought _find what out?_

Shadow looked extremely angered and had Fiona extremely scared. She protectively held out her hands to shield her sight. The light surrounding Shadow made him look more than just menacing as he looked directly at her and said, "That is a small point, Fiona. You may have made yourself well known as a terror in our time, but I was known far more. The mere mention of my name made fools shake, and kings were smart enough to tremble at the thought I might be interest in paying them a small visit."

"What—what do you want?"

"Why were you so shock to find me alive? Something tells me it is more than werewolves being almost extinct."

"I—I—I..." A large golden ring appeared beneath her and opened a black hole. She fell through it, screaming. It then closed. Fiona was no longer in sight.

Shadow mentally swore as he stopped glowing and thought _whatever trick she used, I cannot follow her. It gave no aura and disappeared too fast._

Amy groaned in his arms, and he checked to see if she was wounded. Her green eyes slowly opened, and it did not take long for her to pop up, panicked, saying, "What happened? Where's Fiona? Is anybody hurt?"

Shadow pushed her head down, and she blinked in confusion.

"She escaped. I thought for sure I had her right where I wanted her," he said.

Sally went to them with Sonic and asked, "What were you doing just now? A powerful werewolf move?"

Shadow turned to her and replied, "Why, yes. It is an attack mixed with a mere trick on the eyes."

"You were playing a trick and attacking?" she looked surprised, adding, "Why would you need to do both?"

"Fiona is a hard one to convince. By making my attack more frightening than it was, I could intimidate her into giving me whatever I wanted."

"Clever..." she looked at Sonic, "Hey, can you do that too?"

He looked to the ceiling, rubbing the back of his head, "Uh, well, that is...I mean...what is the point in..."

Shadow interrupted, "Don't waste your time listening to his excuses. He could never master disguising anything as simple as a dandelion."

Sally looked at Sonic again, who was then crossing his arms, grumbling, "Hah, who needs it? I still say it's a waste of time." He closed his eyes with a cocky smirk, "I say you should kick the bad guy really hard and drive him so nuts that he will stop and say 'uncle'."

Shadow scuffed him, saying, "That's a stupid idea. What were you raised in a barn?"

Their heads pushed against each other as both glared at each other, "No. It was in the woods. You're just jealous because my ideas work."

"Your _ideas_ , as you call them, are dumb and only work because of your dumb luck."

Sonic made a dumb smirk, "Dumb luck's better than no luck, Sucker."

A fairly loud growl came from Shadow, who still glared at his little half sibling. Sally looked at Amy, whose appearance reverted back to normal and said, "I wonder how we are going catch Fiona now. She can be anywhere."

Amy nodded and said, "I agree."

"Can you sense her magic?"

The pink hedgehog shook her head, "Nope. I have reason to believe it was something else. It was not magic like her lightning strikes."

"Then it was something, or _someone_ else. But who could it have been?" She then remembered about Geoffrey who vanished into that green light earlier, "Geoffrey."

"You think he could have something to do with it?"

"Well, he did disappear. When you were still unconscious Fiona was pulled into a portal. The thing is she did not look like she was ready for it. What if it was Geoffrey who made that portal?"

"I didn't realise it before. Geoffrey could use magic. Shadow and I dealt with him before when he made it seem like Shadow attacked our village. He caused so much trouble." Amy clenched her hand, "I will do whatever it takes to put a stop to him."

Sally nodded, thinking _I had no idea that Geoffrey could stoop so low._ She looked at where Shadow and Sonic made a dust cloud as they fought. _But the bigger question is where did he and Fiona sneak off to?_

Meanwhile, in a dark alley, Fiona fell through the opened portal and landed on the dirty ground. She stood up looking annoyed and looked at Geoffrey who walked towards her, saying, "Good thing I had this warp ring to get you out of there. Things would have gone smoothly if Shadow didn't show up. I was so positive that he had nothing to do with Sally. He must have sensed Sonic and investigated."

The fox straightened out her dress and said, "It seems that your plans like to backfire like the first time you tried to get rid of him."

Geoffrey leaned back and crossed his arms, "That was a long time ago. It was Chaos' fault. I knew how much the water monster hated werewolves and got him to hunt Shadow. Instead of killing him, it sent him into the future."

She sighed in disgust, "You never cease to astonish me at how sloppy you could be. You had better think of something far better this time around. Not only do we need to worry about him, but there is that squirrel and mage we have to think about. And then there is Sonic." Her teeth clenched as she yelled, "Ooh, the very thought of him makes me want to crush him and turn him into ash!"

The skunk shrugged, "Eh. That can be easily taken care of if we play things smartly. We now know who we are up against."

She sharply turned to him as her red hair whipped to her back, "And how does that make me feel any better? You have done nothing but make mistakes."

"As if you did any better. Besides were it not for me, you would have been vaporized. That was _Shadow_." He then began to smile.

"What are you so smug about?"

He uncurled his hand and showed the blue stone that Sally had earlier, "With this baby, things will move in our favor."

"What is it? It's not even that powerful."

His face looked even sicker, "That's where you are wrong. This gem is the very thing which trapped Sonic years ago. The same man who trapped you in the mirror used this to stop to him. Sally dropped it while defending the blue fur ball. It's the reason I came there in the first place."

"You don't say." Her blue eyes calmed as she became interested in the tiny blue sphere.

Up above, on the roof top stood a black figure with white hair. It dangled loosely around her shoulders as she carefully listened to their chattering. Her turquoise eyes stayed focused on Geoffrey's hand that held the jewel. He stashed it in his pocket as he reminded Fiona that it was only one day before the president came into Station Square.

"Once he shows up, then we could start the fun," he said as he rubbed his fingers.

The albino lady watching them pulled a black mask over her mouth and nose. She still eyed where the gem was put and jumped away with much agility.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The four stood in the room thinking over what had to be done. They looked at each other until Sally sighed and picked up a cell phone. She typed in information on the feudal era's legends. Sonic peeked over her shoulder questionably.

"Uh, Sally, what are you doing?" he asked, still looking at her typing, confused because was also the thing she said could be used to communicate to people from a distance.

She looked at him, "Hmm? Researching," the girl looked again at the screen.

There had to be something there that could be useful and help them stop Fiona and Geoffrey. It was more than obvious that he was not human. Several results popped up, and she scrolled down the page.

She then spotted a site about a strange blue gem. After reading it, it reminded her about the one Sonic was trapped in until she accidently freed him. Thinking about it made her want to take another look at it.

Her furry slim hand reached into her pocket to grab it. The pocket was empty. She pulled it open, wondering if it was further down her jean pocket. It was not there. Her other pocket also had nothing.

Becoming suddenly panicked, she looked around. It got Sonic's attention, and he raised an eyebrow at her, asking, "I thought you were researching."

"I...uh...well...heh, heh, heh..." she pushed her index fingers together nervously, "it's just that, I uh..."

"You what?" he began to look curious.

"I may have dropped the jewel."

"Huh, where?" his shocked voice made Shadow and Amy look at them, and Shadow frowned at Sonic's nervous eyes and face.

Sally looked at the ground again, pushing a chair out of the way. Sonic immediately jumped to help her take a look. Something like that could not have vanished. He might have disliked the fact that it trapped him, but that gave him enough reason to keep an eye on it. There was no telling what else it could do to him.

Shadow asked, "What is your problem?"

Sonic said as he lifted the couch, "The gem, you know the one that the grumpy wizard used to trap me."

"What about it?" his older half-brother asked in an annoyed tone.

"It's missing."

"You lost it?"

Amy put a hand on Shadow's shoulder and said, "That's awful. We should help them look."

Shadow watched his girlfriend quickly go on her hands and knees to search for the gem. Something like that could not have vanished. After two hours, she stopped and stared with shrunken pupils, "Uh oh."

"What's 'uh oh'?" Shadow asked looking at her while she sat up on the ground.

She turned her head at him, "I could be wrong, but I just had this bad feeling that Fiona or Geoffrey could have taken it."

Sonic said with his fur sticking up, "But...but...that would mean that..."

Sally stood up and said, "If they have it, they could use it to trap you or worse."

He closed his eyes looking smug with crossed arms as he leaned against the wall, "It doesn't make sense why they would take it though. Fiona is just a half werewolf like me and wouldn't be able to use it. As for Geoffrey, he would have to pretty old to know how to use the gem or know about it period. No mortal could live that long."

Shadow glanced at the three of them and sighed, rubbing his forehead with an index, "Fiona is half breed like Sonic, yes, but the question that still lingers is what is she half of? The fact that she is not a full-fledged werewolf might entitle her to using the blue sphere's powers. And as for Geoffrey, it is more than obvious he is not what he appears. Who is to say he is even a Mobian?"

Shadow's girlfriend looked at him and asked, "What do you mean, Shadow?"

"Well, for starters, he was the one who killed our friend Maria with his boomerang and then had the nerve to accuse me of it. And then there was the video. In that video, something fast and green ran around destroying everything. After seeing how Geoffrey escaped with Chaos control, a move only high level werewolves could use, it leaves me to suspect that he is not a mortal at all."

Sonic's quills stuck up as he listened, and he said, "Wait a minute, did you just say 'fast' and 'green'?"

Shadow glanced at him, "Yes, why?"

The blue hedgehog tilted his head and his green eyes squinted as the girls watched him quickly muttering over and over, "Green and fast, green and fast, green and fast, green and fast..."

Sally asked him, "What is it, Sonic?"

The hedgehog then sudden raised a finger with an 'ah ha' expression but then put his hand down looking disappointed, saying as he shook his head, "Sorry, Shadow, I have no idea what would be green and fast. I thought for sure I might have seen something like that before though."

Shadow raised an eyebrow and said, "You don't say." He thought _Sonic obviously has angered someone in the past. If that is the case, then it is possible that I might have run into the attacker before as well. Whoever it is who thinks that he could pick a fight with me is making a horrible mistake. Once I catch him, he will wish he never destroyed the human's village just to frame me._

Amy brushed her skirt after standing up and anxiously rubbed her pink furry arm. Everything was looking downhill and despite their efforts, it seemed that they had run into a dead end. On top of which, it was also getting late. Fiona and Geoffrey would have been long gone at that point.

Sally looked at Shadow and Amy and said, "It's getting awfully late. Why don't you guys spend the night here? My mom is working tonight, and Elise is having a sleep over at Tails' place."

They looked at each other, and Amy quickly said, "Sure, that sounds like fun. You know when things are not so rough with the whole Fiona and Geoffrey thing, we should think about having a fun day. Twinkle Park is opening a really awesome new waterslide that I have been dying to try out. I would love to have everyone come and join us."

Shadow turned to her and said with a bored expression, "'Us'? I do not recall agreeing to this."

She stopped daydreaming and looked at him, "Huh? But I thought it would be super fun to go."

"You already know I don't bother with things like rides..." he stopped his sentence as he stared down at her after she suddenly hugged his arm and smiled at him.

" _Please_?" her green eyes innocently blinked at him a couple times.

Sonic leaned forward from where he sat on the ground and said, "What are parks and rides?"

Sally explained it to him while Amy still gave Shadow the guilt trip. Amy added, "There will be free food."

Sonic's ear twitched, and he quickly turned around with an eager face, saying, "Free? Food?" He then looked at Sally with a face that was similar to Amy's, "Hey, Sally...can we go?"

"Huh?" Sally said looking at him surprised, "You mean you wouldn't mind going?"

"Sally. It's free food! There ain't any way I could turn that down."

She smirked at him, "When it comes to food you sure become determined."

Shadow looked irritated as everyone spoke. Amy was still clinging onto his arm looking all happy, saying, "Come on, Shadow. You're the only one here with enough money to afford it. I'm broke."

"Rides are also ridiculously expensive and go at a slower speed than me. They are incredibly boring and a waste of time."

Sonic suddenly looked at him and said, "Wait a minute, he's the only who could afford it?" With free food on the mind, he then zipped behind his brother and patted his back, "Come on, Shadow, buddy, be a pal. Did I ever tell you how you have always been my favorite brother?"

Shadow glared at the blue thing behind him and growled saying, "I'm your _only_ brother." He then yelled in irritation, "And my answer is still no."

Amy was mentally irritated and thought _that's what he thinks._

She then tried to look sad and popped out in front of him, saying while looking cute, "Aww...and I was really looking forward to going."

Shadow froze up when he saw her big eyes and panicked, quickly saying, "Okay, we'll go."

She then hugged him, saying after kissing his cheek, "I knew you would see it my way."

They had spent the rest of night at Sally's place. While they all slept, Sally had trouble sleeping. She felt guilty for dropping the gem. There was still no telling what plans Fiona and Geoffrey had for it. She still held up her phone and searched for as much information as she was able. Nothing could have been found, no matter what she typed. Giving up, she rolled onto her back and stared at the roof.

While she thought over the day's events, her bedroom door creaked open. Her blue eyes looked at it and saw Sonic standing there. She sat up a bit more as he came to sit on the end of her bed. Both were silent as he had one knee up and rested an arm over it with a thoughtful look. Sally looked curious about why he was there but could tell that something rested on his mind.

He said, "Everything was pretty crazy today, huh?"

She tucked her red hair behind a pointy ear, saying, "It sure was. Oh, Sonic, I'm so sorry." The girl looked down in dismay, "It was my fault that the gem was stolen. Maybe if I kept a better eye on it, things might not be as bad as they are now."

He quickly turned and looked at her, "Hey, who said it was your fault?"

"No one did, but it was in my pocket until Geoffrey and Fiona came..."

"It's not as though you gave it to them. Besides, from the way things were, how could you have protected me and kept an eye on the jewel at the same time."

"I guess so, but they still might have it." Her head shook, "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because I was not good enough. But don't worry, that'll change soon."

"Sal," he quietly said.

She did not hear and continued, "And then you'll see. I will get it back and find a way to get rid of it. After what it did to you, I don't feel comfortable knowing that it is out there somewhere in Fiona's hands."

"Sal," he repeated, this time getting her attention as he stretched over and grabbed her hand.

"Hmm?" she looked up, red in the cheeks.

"Who ever said that you were not good enough? You're fine as you are."

"But..."

He shook his head, "No 'buts.' No one could stand up to Fiona like that without a power and live to talk about it, even with Shadow's protection."

"You were there too."

He shrugged, "True, but I was also out of it for a while. From what I heard and saw, you had put up quite the fight trying to keep me kicking. And that's good enough for me."

Sonic then put his hands on the bed, looking ready to stand up as he glanced at the door, "So don't kick yourself about it too much. Out of all of us, you did the most and for that," he smiled, looking at the doorway, "I'm thankful."

He stood up and walked away as she stared.

When he was in the hallway, she called out, "Sonic!"

"Huh," he looked over his shoulder and saw her by the door, holding onto it.

"Thanks. I feel a lot better about it now." Her hand clenched with a positive can-do attitude, "Tomorrow morning, let's find that gem and give those two what's coming to them."

"Now that's more like it. I knew you had it in you, Sal."

She laughed, "See you tomorrow."

The two went to sleep with high hopes for a better outcome the next day. While the household slept the night away, Geoffrey and Fiona walked through the streets. They entered a hotel and asked for a room to stay in for the night.

When it came for paying for the expenses, it was not a problem because all that Fiona had to do was make money with her magic. When they arrived at their room, the red fox sat on the couch and pointed at one end of the room, saying, "See that over there?"

Geoffrey looked at where she pointed and said, "Yeah, what about it?"

"That's your side."

"Aw, come on, really?"

She crossed her arms, looking angry, "If you did not mess up so often, I would not be this upset. But you did," her fingers were stretched out as she checked her nails, "and for that, I'm upset at you, skunk."

"You know for a fact that's not what I really am. Maybe if I changed back, you would remember what good looks look like..." a thick, heavy pillow was thrown at his head, which caught him off guard.

"Stop yakking and go to your side, moron! It's your fault that Shadow is still alive. You could have killed him, but nnnnooooo...you had to be stupid and frame him. It's Shadow. HE'S TOO DANGEROUS TO LIVE!"

"You're also forgetting that his fast healing makes that I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E!" The skunk jumped up and down as he threw a temper tantrum, "No matter how hard you try to kill him, he always comes back to return the favor and _succeed_! And wasn't it your job to get rid of Sonic? I don't see him dead. That old geezer's trick with the gem didn't even last."

"Ooh, just do me a favor and take a long walk off a short peer."

"Hah, you know I hate walks."

By then she looked ready to strangle him, "You...you...you..."

The way she glared at him intimidated him as he slightly backed away, protecting his head with his hands, "N—n—now, Fiona...L—l—let's not..."

A new voice entered the room as a purple cloud, "Humph, pathetic. Is this how my lackeys behave behind my back?" It came in through the heating vent as a purple smoke.

The two stopped their squabbling and looked at the newcomer. Geoffrey's eyes shrunk as he muttered, "It—it—it's him..." Fiona stood up more, trying to look less deranged, and Geoffrey stared at him, "I—I thought you were dead after you were pushed—I mean after you fell to your death at the mountain side."

The purple smoke moved around the room, glowing as though lightening was about to strike, saying to them, "Did you honestly think me so weak that I would die from something like that."

"Should have known..." Geoffrey grumbled, "I mean I should have known to have more faith in you."

It was silent for a bit until it said, "Hmm...Of course you should have. Were it not for my powers I would have never recovered from the fall. But naturally, my rejuvenating powers kicked in and revived me months ago. Shadow is still alive, but oddly it was as though his powers never increased all these years. He is not the type of person to stop adding to them either."

Hoping to hide his mess up at accidently sending Shadow to the future instead of killing him, Geoffrey said, "Maybe he's just weak, or got so good at his powers that he can hide how much he actually has."

The strange dark smoke swirled around over their heads, "Perhaps, but nevertheless, I have a bone to pick with him. He is the very reason for hiring you as my bounty hunters."

"Why—why should we listen to you? I mean, it is not as though we want anything from you. After Fiona and I deal with the president, this world will be in the palm of our hands. We don't need you."

It rumbled angrily, which made Geoffrey duck and hide behind Fiona, who grabbed him and whacked him, saying, "Get a hold of yourself, you're embarrassing me!"

The cloud said, "To answer your pitiful, pointless, and insignificant question, my worthless lackeys, it is rather simple. Refuse to do anything for me at this point, and you will be snuffed out like a candle. Listen and you will not perish. I might even give you a part of this pathetic world. As long as I can devour the mortals and get rid of Shadow, I will be satisfied. Now I want you to listen to me carefully for I will not repeat myself and will hunt you down if I find out that it was not properly done."

Both said in unison and panic, "We're listening."

"Meet this man. He is an evil and cruel dimensional double of the last survivor of the race that destroyed the rest of the werewolves. Unlike his counterpart here, he is a mass murderer and tyrant. Such an alliance is worth considering."

A picture fell from the smoke, which Fiona picked up and studied.

Geoffrey did not bother looking at it and said with crossed arms, "Sounds like a real villain you've got there. Ever thought he'd be smart enough to turn on us when he decides to take everything for himself?"

The wicked cloud said with sick, happy voice, "Who ever said I was going keep him around? This man gives much energy, but when enough is taken out of his body, he becomes weak and could be stopped permanently."

Geoffrey thought as the smoke left, _he really is a villain. Our boss makes Shadow look as innocent as an infant._

He took a glance at the picture of who they were meeting and saw an echidna wearing armor. The echidna was cloaked in green energy and had red glowing eyes. Even they gave the skunk a chill down his spine. Nothing about their future partner looked safe.

He could not tell who was more dangerous, the echidna or the smoke.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Sonic was sound asleep until the scent of something good filled the room. His ear twitched until he popped his head up and ran down the stairs in a hurry. It came straight from the kitchen where Sally and Amy talked to each other.

He ran past Shadow who was leaning against the wall.

"Hi, Shadow. Bye, Shadow," Sonic said as he headed for the food.

Shadow opened a red eye at him and muttered, "Oh, it's you." After a bit of a pause, he then opened both eyes and called out, "I wouldn't go in there if I were you. You're only going to get clobbered."

The blue blur did not hear him. Shadow sweat-dropped and thought _oh well. Guess Blue Boy will just have to find out the hard way._

Sonic spotted the pancakes cooking on the stove and said, "Oh, yeah, now that's what I'm talking about! It's Munching Time!"

He jumped for the food right when a hand grabbed his ear and pulled him. Sally said, "And what do you think you are doing?"

"Having food, obviously," he said as he tried reaching for them.

It was a struggle for her to hold him back as she wrapped her arms around him and tried to pull him, "You can't have them yet. They're still cooking. You'll only burn yourself."

He still persisted and grabbed hold of the door's sides as she tried to pulled him out of the kitchen, "No, I won't."

"Yes, you will," she tugged harder.

He looked back at her, still holding on, "Who says?"

"I do."

He rolled his green eyes, "Pffthp, that's silly. I'm way too fast to let a stove burn me. Watch this."

She pulled grabbed his arm before he did that and pushed him out of the kitchen, "You can just wait like everyone else before breakfast is ready. Why don't you watch TV while you wait?"

While she pushed his back with filled irritation, he looked at her with interest, "What's TV?"

She stopped pushing him and bended over to grab the television remote from the coffee table, ready to explain how to use it. When she looked up, there was no hedgehog. Shadow, who was leaning against the wall across from the kitchen, looked at the kitchen entrance as Amy said, "What happened to half of the chocolate chips?"

Sally dropped the remote as her eye twitched, thinking _did he just...steal the chocolate chips…he's so impatient._

"So go on, Sal, I'm listening."

She turned around and jumped when she saw him standing on the other side of her. Annoyed at how he constantly popped out of nowhere, she gave him a playful shove, saying, "Don't scare me like that."

"Sure thing, Sal," he gave a troublemaking smirk as she looked annoyed. Sonic did find her face funny.

She picked up the remote and explained, "This red button turns it on and off, and these ones change the channels and volume if it is either too loud or quiet." Not sure what he would like, she turned on a channel with cartoons.

While he sat on the floor, fascinated with the weird people on the screen, she went back to the kitchen. Shadow peeked at the TV and closed his eyes, not interested in what went on with the show. He was more intrigued with what Amy was doing.

Breakfast was eventually ready, and they sat down to eat their pancakes. Sonic apparently kept some of his chocolate chips and sprinkled them over his pancakes. After that, he added some sugar and syrup.

Sally leaned against her hand, looking at what he doing as he looked evil and said, "That...is...a lot...of sugar."

He looked at her and held out some chocolate for her, "Want some?"

"Um, no thanks," she ate a piece of her food.

He shrugged, "Suit yourself," and began eating his food.

Shadow stared at his brother with a look that resembled dread. Amy looked at him with his fork only partly in his food and asked, "Is something wrong, Shadow?"

"He's...eating...all of that...sugar…"

She tilted her head at him, "What is wrong with that?"

His calmness lasted only a second until he grabbed Amy's shoulders, "He is eating a ton of the stuff. When he does that, he does nothing but drive people like me up the wall."

"Why would he do that?"

Shadow still looked a little bit crazy, "Because he is a real pain and lives to torment me." He then calmed and raised a finger, "I have an idea. We will take a vacation on Mount Everest and dig a moat around it. You and Sally dig while I find the alligators for the moat."

"That's silly. I think you're overreacting."

"Am I now?" Shadow turned his head over to where Sonic used to sit.

Amy looked and said, "Oh, looks like he finished."

Shadow's red eyes grew wide, and he jumped on Amy, saying, "Get down."

They fell over right as a blue blur whooshed over their heads. Sonic jumped onto a chair, looking at all kinds of things. Everything he picked up, were left in midair, and Sally had to catch them before they fell onto the ground.

He then proceeded to bounce from wall to wall and jumped on the furniture. Shadow looked at Amy as Sonic made more mess, knocking things over and jumping on things. He said with an 'I-told-you-so' face', "Still say I overreact?"

She touched her mouth, saying, "Well, that is...I mean...I didn't he would go and…be like...this..."

Two suitcases were held out in front of her, and she looked at Shadow, who was handing them to her.

She said, "We are _not_ going to Mount Everest."

Lower the suitcase, he sarcastically glanced at her, looking not very thrilled, "Oh? You mean you would rather stay here..." he pointed at Sonic, "...with _that_?"

"It's just a sugar rush. Don't worry about it so much...Huh?" she took a step back, taken by surprise when Sonic suddenly jumped on Shadow's head.

The little brother laughed evilly and said, "Oh, hey, Shadow, guess what?" Shadow didn't answer, so Sonic asked, "Shadow? Shadow? Shadow? Shaadddooowww?" He pulled on Shadow's ear like a little kid asking for attention, "Shads?"

"I TOLD YOU TO NEVER CALL ME THAT!" Shadow growled, trying to whack the hedgehog off his head.

Sonic jumped over Shadow's hand and landed on Shadow's head with one hand. More growling came from Shadow as Sonic laughed at him and pushed a finger on his brother's head saying, "Temper, temper, Ultimate Light Show."

Shadow closed his eyes, looking really angry. Amy ran over there and said, "Come on, Sonic, don't get Shadow mad."

Shadow said after sighing, still with closed eyes, "Nay, I'm not angry."

"Oh, you're not."

"No, not at all," Sonic looked at him curiously but was surprised when Shadow reached up and grabbed him. Shadow smiled as he said, "I'm just simply..." he opened his eyes and growled, " **INFURIATED!** "

Looking deranged, he threw Sonic on the ground and stepped on him, saying, "Every time this happens, after you have a mountain of sugar, you always go and seek me. Why must you annoy me so? Well? Don't just lie there. Answer me at once, pest."

Amy and Sally glanced at each other, looking as if they thought the men were crazy, and Sally said, "Uh, I don't know about you, Amy, but I think I need to buy some groceries."

Amy smiled at her with closed eyes, trying to ignore how Sonic jumped out from under Shadow and shouted, "Hah, missed me, missed me. Never gonna hit me." He even stuck a tongue out at his older brother.

The pink girl said, "Uh, sure, thing Sally. I wouldn't mind getting away from all of the craziness. Just give me a minute to grab my purse."

The girls left the crazy house but returned two hours later thinking _that was stupid leaving them unattended..._

Sally said as they walked down the dirt path to the house, "I wonder what is left of the house. They were left by themselves for a while."

Amy opened the door, saying, "After leaving them attacking each other like that? Who knows? I hope Shadow wasn't too hard on Sonic or the house."

They stepped in the surprisingly clean house. On the ground in the front of them was Sonic and Shadow in a pile.

Amy said, "Oh, looks like they fell asleep, Sally."

Looking at them, Sally muttered, "Why do I get this nagging feeling they knocked each other out?"

Both looked unimpressed as Amy said in the same tone as Sally, "Probably because they did."

Sonic and Shadow were covered in bruised and footprints from kicking and hitting each other. No real damage was done, and thankfully it looked like the sugar rush had ended.

While they put the groceries away as the guys slept, Geoffrey and Fiona followed their boss's orders at another part of town and went to meet with their new partner. According to the back of the photo, they were to meet the echidna at an old abandoned hardware house by the docks.

They stood under a rusty streetlight and checked the clock tower for the time. It was fifteen past eleven, the time they were going to meet.

Fiona asked Geoffrey as he double checked the information on their boss's photo, "After we meet with this Echidna fellow, what is our next move?"

He shoved the picture into his pocket and answered, "The radio mentioned the time and place where the president will show his ugly mug. We will pose as the security, lead him to a spot where he is by himself and kidnap him. And you can already guess the rest. It will be short and sweet. I will have to thank this Dr. Eggman sometime."

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Because were it not for him," his thumb pointed at himself, "there would have been a lot more people in different places to rule. Thanks to him, the whole world became condensed and rounded up in one tight spot. It just made conquering things child's play."

She began to smirk along with him, "That is very true."

A ring with a strange yellowish green glow appeared next to them. It grew and opened, showing a dark, black hole. Out of the hole walked a Mobian. It was the same Echidna they were supposed to meet. He eyed the two, but, thanks to his metallic mask, it was impossible if he was pleased or angry.

Geoffrey grumbled, "About time. What took ya?"

The Echidna turned to him, which quickly silenced the skunk. Those red eyes were so unnatural. They glowed as though they were lit on fire and looked capable of reading everyone's soul.

"Don't presume to order me, Skunk," his echoing voice said in a low threatening tone. He grabbed Geoffrey's shirt and lifted him above the ground, "I give the orders here."

The skunk was tossed to the side, and the echidna quickly sent a ball of green energy at a sturdy cement wall. Only a blackened outline of it remained, leaving almost no sign of the rest of the rubble. Even Fiona felt frightened by the vicious visitor.

The Echidna muttered, "Enerjak."

Fiona looked at him as Geoffrey said from the ground, "What was that you just said?"

Their powerful visitor did not bother looking at them as he examined the city, "My name. You are to address me as Enerjak. I'm my world's creator. It needed to be broken down and rebuilt, just like this one here. Your lord and master told me you two were to play a vital part in disposing of this world's only leader. I was summoned here due to a certain group who could undermine this plan. According to him, it was my job to do what you failed to do and end them."

Geoffrey gritted his teeth, becoming as red as a beet in anger saying, "My pleasure to work with you...Enerjak."

Fiona thought, looking down at him _don't blow it. Do you want this thing to vaporize us?_

To change Enerjak's attention to something more pleasing, she walked closer and said, "Never mind, him, Enerjak. He is just red from the sun. It is such a hot day. How would you feel if you and I talk about," she tilted her head a bit so that he could have a good look at her, "the plan?"

"Ah yes, the plan..." he walked past her, ignoring her pose, "I have been meaning to bring that up. Surely you and your partner were smart enough to put one together before I came. I would hate to find out that I'm working with incompetence."

Geoffrey growled, "Why you..."

Fiona pushed the skunk's head down and hissed at him, "Don't blow it, meathead." Turning to Enerjak with a cheerful face, she said, "Why of course we did, ' _Enerjakie_ '. We wouldn't dream of disappointing you."

Geoffrey muttered, "I would."

She pulled his hair, "Hush!"

Enerjak said, eyeing the two, "Good, then you will gladly tell me everything I need to know."

"Of course, anything for you..." she said, smiling at him in his heavy Egyptian armor.

Geoffrey's jaw dropped as he stuttered, "Is…is…she…did…she just..."

Just as Fiona moved past the skunk and walked towards Enerjak, she pushed him and sent a glare. She next proceeded to tell Enerjak what she and Geoffrey planned while the skunk grumbled in the back.

Geoffrey thought as he glared at the two walking in front in him _just you two wait. When things are more to my liking, I will show you what I'm really made of. And when I do, you had better watch yourself, Enerjak._

In the alley behind them, the same albino completely dressed in black kept her turquois eyes on them. That blue sphere was still tucked into Geoffrey's pocket, and as she slipped behind a lamppost, she watched the jewel's location.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The four friends left Sally's house sometime in the afternoon. Amy's theory that Fiona and Geoffrey nabbed the jewel became more and more believable, which filled them with doubt. Amy constantly checked her surroundings, worried about where the two villains hid while Sonic walked with more thought than normal.

Shadow's walk was no different than normal. In fact, it was impossible to know if something bothered him or not. Even his face was normal with how it showed no smile, looking like he was thinking over something complex.

Even though Sally told Sonic and herself that she would not try to blame herself, the guilt of losing the strange orb weighed heavily on her conscience. Because it rolled out of her pocket, the skunk and fox had it. Her diamond blue eyes watched Sonic as he walked with his hands behind his head.

The hedgehog sensed her looking at him and asked, "What is it, Sal?"

Her cheeks quickly colored as she said, "Um, nothing." She then stopped. Her eyes were locked on something across the street, "Over there."

He stopped and backed up to stand beside her, "What is it?"

"That skunk who walked by just now looks like Geoffrey."

The hedgehog looked that way and said, "Is that right...?" Before Sally could grab him and tell him that they should come up with a plan first, Sonic was long gone.

Shadow sighed and muttered, "I have an idiot for a brother."

Amy asked, "Why would you say that, Shadow?"

"He's jumping into something without much thought. That skunk is Geoffrey, but attacking him like that is not advisable."

"Why's that?" she looked at Shadow curiously as she tilted her head, allowing her pink curls to dangle by her shoulder.

His red eyes stopped looked at the skunk and glanced at her, "He is wearing a CIA uniform."

The girls fell over. Sally stood up, saying, "Why can't Sonic just sit and _think_ for once? I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty certain that everyone else like the police will think that Sonic is attacking someone from the government."

Within one heartbeat, Sonic jump-kicked the skunk who was drinking coffee, saying, "Ah ha, thought you could fool us with that government get up didn't ya, Skunk boy?"

It took the skunk by surprise, making him spill his drink with wide eyes. The skunk looked at him with a panicked face until Fiona came there as well. People passing by stared as Sonic looked like a loon for kicking Geoffrey in the head.

Fiona said to Geoffrey, "Get on your feet, you're embarrassing the service."

Geoffrey was still looking at Sonic with huge panicked eyes while he was still on the ground in the same position, nervously saying, "Ah hah, hah, hah, hah...that—that's right...I'm a CIA agent, and you are just a lowly citizen."

Sonic looked down at him as though what he said did not matter and said, "I have no idea what a ' _CIA agent_ ' is, but it sounds contagious."

Geoffrey stood up, brushing himself, and said, "You've got that one wrong. It's _not_ a disease."

"Then what is?" The blue hedgehog began to smile mischievously, "Because I'm pretty certain that anything involving you is one."

Geoffrey rolled up his sleeves, "You…you..."

Both jumped at each other right when Sally grabbed Sonic's ear, and Fiona grabbed Geoffrey's. Sonic looked at Sally and said, "But…I mean…aw come on, Sal."

Sally pulled him away, saying, "Sorry...but, I don't really feel like being arrested."

Geoffrey looked at Fiona and said, "Thanks for nothing. I was ready to put Sonic in his place and everything."

"And then what? Let everyone here see you in your real form? We all know that you can't possibly keep up with Sonic unless you use all of your power."

He waved his fists in the air in a temper tantrum, "You are making me sound like some kind of weakling!"

"Yeah, so what if I am, you've got a problem with that?"

The skunk jumped up, "That's it. I'm going back there right now and show Sonic who is boss."

As Sonic was dragged back to the others, he pulled his arm free, looking annoyed. He was going to return there, but Shadow stepped on him.

"What was that for?" he asked. He then looked at his older half-brother, who glared down at him for not looking before he leapt, "Not you too, Shadow."

Shadow looked down at him and said, "He and Fiona are not the only ones we should worry about."

Sonic blinked at him, confused, "Come again?" His ears twitched as he tilted his head.

The black, multicolored hedgehog motioned ahead to where the two villains stood. Geoffrey stood up and brushed his jacket as Fiona moved next to the stop sign. Another joined their group. He was an Echidna who had dark sunglass, a black suite, and seemed to have much muscle.

The Echidna walked over to them and grabbed Geoffrey's arm, saying, "Do not blow the mission. Remember, it could still take effect _without_ you in it."

Out of fear for the Echidna's wrath, the skunk straightened himself and kept an eye out for the president. Sonic looked at the Echidna as though he did not get what Shadow was getting at and leaned against his hand, looking bored. His legs were crossed as his other arm rested on a knee.

Amy asked her boyfriend, "What is it, Shadow?"

Shadow crossed his arm, no longer stepping on his brother, and said, "That Mobian...I know him."

In unison they all said, "You know what?!"

The three looked at him for two silent minutes. Their eyes were wide, and everyone stayed perfectly still like palace statues. It was not what they expected.

Amy finally asked, "Um, how exactly is...it that you know him?"

Shadow rubbed his chin, "Not sure. There is something about the way he walks and his body type..." he then froze as Sonic looked at the three across the road again.

Sonic was still in the same bored position as he said, "Well, it slips my mind who that guy is."

Shadow suddenly said, "It's him."

The little brother looked up, "Him, who?"

"Come on, if we are lucky, that sword for opening other worlds was never moved." Shadow pulled Amy's hand.

She said, "What sword, Shadow?"

He looked back at her, "Hmm? The sword is something I used in a fight against that Echidna. He called himself Enerjak. I had to borrow it from some people though."

Sonic called out, "You mean, 'steal'?"

"You were never there, how did you know about that?"

"I didn't have to be there to know. I just happen to know your version of 'borrowing'."

Shadow rolled his red eyes and held his head as though a headache was bothering him.

The pink girl said, "I know you want to find the staff, but aren't you worried about losing track of Geoffrey and Fiona?"

The Ultimate Life Form looked at the group of villains, "I have more concern about our odds against their friend. He has got more power than Fiona in his finger."

"You're worried about facing him?!" she looked shocked, since Shadow was not the type to be so cautious about an enemy.

"Let's just say that no matter what you throw at this Echidna, nothing would affect him."

She followed him, feeling confused, "So what should we do?"

"Simple. Grab the magic sword," he smirked at her while Sonic and Sally exchanged glances.

A green energy appeared in his hands, which made Sonic's eyes shrink. He said, "Oh, no you don't. I know what happens to me when you use that on me. I'm running there."

Shadow looked evil as he said, letting the energy suck them into a portal, "Now why would I do that? Besides, this place can't be reached by running."

They were pulled into a chaos control while Enerjak glanced at where they were as he smirked thinking _go on ahead. Give it your all, Shadow. I can already figure out what you seek. It's ironic how you are seeking aid from the treasure of the one responsible for your species' extinction._


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Shadow's chaos control transported them to a forest in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but nature stood there. While they landed on their feet, Sonic landed head first behind them.

The ferns covered his head when he popped his head up and thought _what's this place?_

Shadow smirked as though he was very much aware of what became of his brother and calmly walked ahead. He said, "If nothing touched the sword all this time, it should still be in the cave."

Sonic said as he ran to catch up, "Cave? As in where there are bats and stalactites?"

"Yes," Shadow took a small glance at Sonic, who was brushing the dirt out of his fur.

Amy rubbed her arm, which Sally quickly noticed. She ran beside her and asked, "Something about this forest seems..."

"Creepy?" Amy said, staring at a giant spider web that she almost collided with while talking.

"That was not quite the word I was looking for but...yeah..."

"Why do you think that is, Sally?"

The brown squirrel looked around before pushing down the sticking up fur on her left arm, "I don't know, but it almost feels like someone is watching us."

Amy tapped her chin, looking up at the towering firs, "Now that you mention it that does match how this forest makes me feel." She froze in her tracks as her fur and ears stuck up, "You don't think there actually is someone else here do you?"

"It's possible, but if we stick together, we should be alright..." Amy gave a super high pitch scream when she fell through a patch of dry grass.

Sally quickly ran to the hole and looked down it. Amy sat at the bottom, shaking her head to loosen the dirt from her medium length pink hair. She looked up at where Sally stood.

The redhead called out, "Are you okay, Amy?"

Amy cupped her hands and called out, "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just a little bit scratched from the fall. Where are the guys?"

It was strange that Shadow and Sonic did not come there because of their super speed and hearing. Sally stood up and looked around. The boys were nowhere to be seen. That was bad. They were somehow separated. It was possible that they were no paying attention to where the boys were going while they talked about the creepy island.

"It looks like they must have walked ahead. I'll get something to pull you out with," Sally said as she ran to a group of tall skinny white alder trees.

Dangling from their branches was some moss that must have been there for a great many years. She scanned them quickly and pulled out a branch from the ground. It was loosely attached to a tree and was easy to grab. She took it to the pit and lowered it, hoping that Amy could reach out and tightly grab it.

Amy jumped at the thick branch as it was held over her head. Her pink hand missed it each time she jumped. As she prepared for another good jump, she noticed three boulders half-buried in the pit's dirt wall. Running there, she stepped on the lowest one and crouched. Sally quickly figured out what she was doing and positioned the branch closer to her friend.

The next jump brought Amy closer to the branch's height, and her hand stretched out to it. She bumped it, but before she fell too far away from it, she quickly lifted her other hand and snatched Sally's branch.

The pink hedgehog tightly held onto it as Sally lifted it. Unfortunately, it snapped, sending Sally backwards and Amy onto the ground. Sally rubbed her head and examined the pointy end of her stick while Amy knocked the soil out of her ear.

Sally said, "I think I saw some vines other there," and ran to a group of maple trees. Several vines hung from their branches, which Sally looked through for one that was less likely to snap from too much weight.

She pulled one from the trees and lowered it to Amy. The pink girl grabbed onto it and climbed out, still looking worried. They were still separated in a strange place after all. Only Shadow seemed to understand a bit about the place and was their only way off as far as they knew. To not have him around was way too dangerous.

There was the possibility that they could not escape unless they caught up to the boys. Meanwhile, where Sonic and Shadow were while Sally was trying to pull Amy out of the pit, it did not take them long to realise that they were separated. In fact, the moment Shadow noticed how quiet it became, aside from Sonic, he looked at the back. The girls were somehow separated from them.

 _Great_ Shadow thought.

Sonic's ears shot up like a cat as he said, "Sal!" He ran to the back a bit more and looked back and forth as though someone had stolen his security blanket, "Where'd you go? Come on, this is no time for _hide-and-go-seek_." He peeked under some rocks and giant leaves in desperation.

Shadow did not say anything and looked to his left. The cave he wanted to find was right there.

"Sonic," he said, looking at the dark entrance.

Sonic stopped running and looked back at him, "What?"

"I wouldn't attract too much attention here. Creatures like werewolves might have been called extinct, but Fiona and us are proof of the very opposite."

"Why, what are you getting at?" Sonic looked at Shadow with a feeling in his gut, telling him he was not going to like it.

Shadow sighed and tucked his hands into his pockets, "In our time, this untouched forest would have been vampire territory."

"Vampire! You mean to say, you brought the girls straight into the territory of our species biggest enemy! Why would you do something like that?"

Shadow rubbed his forehead, "It was abandoned even in our time."

"Then why do I have to be so quiet?"

Shadow stayed silent while looking to the side until he said, "Because I never sensed anything here for years until just now."

"Wait a minute, you mean that you have been here a lot of times, for who knows how many years, and then suddenly you felt something nearby just now?"

"Yes, that is correct. It is rather odd. The vampires in our time have long abandoned this place because it attracted too much attention."

Sonic looked around as though he did not quite understand Shadow's point, "This place? There're way too many trees out here to find anything. That makes no sense. They would have had lots of places to hide from everyone."

"When it comes to hiding from werewolves with a keen sense of smell that is pointless. Besides, the reason it attracted too much attention is because," Sonic looked at him as he spoke, "this is a floating island."

Sonic's jaw dropped, "Say WHAT!"

A couple birds flew away after he yelled. It now made sense why Shadow had to chaos control, but another problem still remained. The girls were lost in the forest with a vampire that was possibly lurking somewhere in the shadows, waiting to strike. There was nothing more appealing to a blood thirsty vampire than a fresh young girl's blood.

While the four friends had their own problems to deal with, Geoffrey and Fiona patiently waited for the president's entrance. The humans and Mobians even designed a special parade in his honour. With the disguises Fiona whipped up, they were sure to reach him without detection.

Enerjak, who stayed in the back made absolute certain the public newspaper never got a clean shot of him, not even his figure. He wanted to get his hands on the president without leaving a single clue. One pair of dark sunglasses was not going to do it. He had to hide his figure by blending in with the rest of the crowd, ready to fake being security.

He checked his watch. It was fifteen more minutes before show time. He looked to his left. Geoffrey and Fiona were impatiently waiting by that same stop sign. It only made him sigh and shake his head. It was really pitiful that they were his help. What he really needed were competent lackeys who knew what they were doing and did something when they were told to do it. All those two ever did was create more problems by arguing and attract more attention.

It made no sense what potential their boss saw in them. Perhaps it had something to do with Geoffrey's true form. He always complained about being called a skunk by those he worked with, and often whined about wanting to use his full power.

An empty tomato sauce can had rolled and stopped by Enerjak's foot. Someone was behind him. Glancing behind him, he narrowed his eyes at the suspicious silent alley. He discreetly looked at it through the corner of his eye until he noticed long white hair in the shadows.

The hair's owner appeared to have a healthy body, an indication that she was strong and more than probably young. Her attention, however, was focused on Geoffrey. It seemed she wanted something from him. The fact that her face was mostly covered showed that whatever she did required her to hide like them.

 _That woman_ the Echidna thought _she might be trouble. For some unknown reason she is fascinated with that skunk._


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The girls were all alone in the forest, wandering with no guide or any hint as to where they were. All that they could do was keep track of each other and, hopefully, where they were going. It was bad enough that they skipped lunch.

Amy rubbed her stomach and looked back and forth. So far they only came across unfamiliar plants and strange animals. Thankfully they were only small, cute animals that were completely fuzzy and really friendly, and none were really hostile...yet.

She looked up as the two past under two large leaves that sat under each other and formed an arch. A small monkey sitting on a nearby tree jumped onto one, which made the leaf dump its water over her head. She cringed as the water washed over her from head to toe.

Looking down, she examined her short red dress, which was soaked. It made her want to yell at the troublemaker, but he was already long gone, chasing a butterfly. Marching through the woods, her knees began to shake, and she plopped under a tree.

"Can we take a break, Sally?" she called out, pulling off a boat to dump the water.

Sally looked at her friend, wishing as badly as Amy for something to eat, "Of course, I don't see why not."

Both of their stomachs growled, and they groaned. Sally sat under the same huge oak tree and pulled out her phone. There was no reception. That was a shame. She was hoping to at least use it to figure out what plant could be edible.

Amy plucked a mushroom and said, "Any chance this mushroom is edible?"

The redhead craned her neck for a closer look and shook her head, "Nuh, uh, poisonous."

"This one?" the pink girl held out a different one.

Sally shook her head again, "Nope."

They went through five more mushrooms surrounding them, but none looked safe enough to eat.

Sally hugged her knees, looking at the blue sky hidden behind the trees, and said, "It's probably not a great idea to look at mushrooms. If you don't know them well, you could easily poison yourself."

"Probably," Amy leaned into the tree more in defeat, "Ooh, this stinks." She chucked a rock into the bushes, "What is there to eat?"

Sally looked at the leaves swaying over her head muttering, "No idea."

It felt so calm and warm there. The grass was so comfortable, and that place felt awesome. After so much walking, it was going to be hard to move again. Her eyelids began to weigh too much.

Amy crossed her arms in a pout and said, "What would I give for an apple? I'll even eat Brussel sprouts at this point. What about you, Sally?" She looked behind her when there was no answer and sat up to see why.

Sally lied very still as a dark green leaf rested on her cheek. It was easy to see how much tiredness had overcome her.

Amy thought _she's asleep. I guess this whole trip has been exhausting. Speaking of which, when I get home, I'm definitely treating myself to a nice hot bath and then a fantastic ice cream cone._

Her ears twitched when something broke a branch, and she quickly stood up, looking around. Another branch snapped. It came from somewhere in front of them. Sally was, unfortunately, still out of it. Amy glanced at her friend, wondering if it was a good time to wake her. Something stepped out of the bushes, and she instinctively made a mallet appear in a batting position over her shoulder.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" she called out, trying to look brave, even though she knew she was too tired to put up a real fight. Scaring away whatever was dangerous was her best option.

An Echidna stood there as he protectively held out his hands, saying, "Whoa there. I'm just passing through." She lowered her mallet as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head and added, "Well, actually, I heard someone out here and investigated."

The girl raised her mallet again, and he quickly said, "But I'm not going to hurt you." He pointed down, "Put that thing down."

"Who—who are you?" she asked, still not listening. If anything, she held onto it more.

He sighed and said, "Knuckles." The Echidna looked at her, shaking his head, "Are you hungry? I thought I heard you guys talking about not having anything to eat."

"Well...maybe a little," she made the mallet disappear as he pulled out a bag.

"I was forging for some berries after cooking this up," he tapped another bag that was smaller.

She thought _is that some meat? Maybe it is chicken._

Knuckles sat cross-legged in front of them, and Amy sat back as he pulled out some berries and a couple apples. Sally woke up a short while later to the smell of something good. The meat Knuckles said he had cooked was still warm. Amy was shoving the food into her mouth and quickly drinking some water to wash it all down.

The redhead blinked her eyes a couple times before rubbing them. Knuckles took immediate notice that she woke and held out a plate, saying, "Hi, the name's Knuckles. Amy here told me how you were separated from your friends. Want something to eat?"

Sally took it, and said, "Thanks. Do you live out here?"

He laughed and said, "Yep, this has been my home for so long, I can't remember a time I wasn't on it. So, exactly how did you two get on here?"

"On here?" Sally asked as she ate some of the meat, which she was unable to recognise.

"Yeah, on the island," he said as he grabbed an apple and took a bite.

"Uh, well, you see, ur..." she thought _just how can I explain to him that we teleported here? There is no way I could get away with saying that without sounding crazy._

Amy raised a hand and said, "Oh, that's because Shadow took us out here, but he is with Sonic. I hope they will find us soon."

Knuckles slowly nodded, but as Sally looked at how he took Amy's answer, it seemed to be filled with suspicion, though she had no idea why. It was as though he thought they were holding back something.

Amy looked at the meat paddy she held and said, "Hey, this is pretty good. What is it? I want to get a recipe."

Knuckles smirked as though he was glad that she liked it and said, looking puffed up, "Spiders."

The girls stopped eating for a minute, and Amy tried her best to not choke after hearing that. They were eating...spiders.

Knuckles shook his head and said with a troublemaking smile, "Kidding. He then said with a dead serious face, "They're just red carpenter ants." The Echidna took another big bite from his paddy.

Amy thought, _I don't think I'm hungry anymore. I just ate bugs, a whole mess of them, compressed and fried into a paddy._

Knuckles raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's your problem? They're just ants. Echidna's eat them all the time."

"I'm a hedgehog."

Knuckles shook his head and leaned back, teasing, "Heh, so that's what hedgehogs look like. It has been a while since I've seen one."

Amy looked at him wide-eyed and asked, "Uh, um, so Knuckles," she cleared her throat, "how long did you say you were up here for again?"

"How long?" he shrugged, "I don't know. My old man hated visitors and told me to chase them away, although, he never really gave me a reason."

Amy looked up at him, "Really?"

He said, "Yeah but I'm not gonna. I have never thrown anyone off before, and you guys are actually the first people I have ever seen up here since everyone else has left the island."

The girls looked at each other and began to look at him sympathetically. Knuckles looked at the sky, noticing how many stars began to show. When he looked down, he was taken by surprise when he saw both of them closer, giving him sympathetic faces.

"Whoa," he quickly moved back with surprise, "Uh…didn't see you there."

Amy said, "Oh, Knuckles, that is so sad."

He blinked at her, "What is?"

She frowned, "No one should be on their own like this. And instead of kicking us off, you have fed us some of your food."

He looked at the sky again and said, "It's no biggie. You just remind me of someone I used to know."

Amy still sat on her knees and tilted her head, saying, "We do?"

"Yeah," he looked a little distant, but then looked at them. Realising how much he had let down his guard, he looked down and said, "Don't worry about it." He glanced at the flowing river, "It probably has to do with you two being girls like her."

Amy sat up a bit more, noticing at once that he seemed a bit sad as well as lonely. She said, "Oh I see. Was she special to you?"

He closed his arms as he thought about his friend, "Yeah. She was something else. But we were only kids. I still have no idea where she came from. Her clothes were very unusual and so was her mentality. She was the only friend I had."

Shaking his head, he stood up and said, "But that's enough about that. It was only the past, right? Come on, it's getting late. You girls should not be out here by yourselves. Some of the animals are not good with strangers."

Sally and Amy looked at each other, and Sally said, "We'd like to, but we need to find Sonic and Shadow. They are somewhere in these woods by themselves and are probably worried about us by now."

Knuckles did not say anything and began to walk into the bushes, saying, "Who are your friends again?"

Sally said, "You mean Sonic and Shadow?"

He peeked through the trees and said, "Yeah, them. What do they look like?"

"Well, one's a blue hedgehog, and one's black with red stripes and a patch of white chest fur. The blue one is Sonic, and the other one is Shadow. Sonic has green eyes, and Shadow has red eyes."

He looked through the bushes as she described their missing friends, "Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh..." The Echidna grabbed onto two of the trees and leapt in between them, "Back in a second."

The girls looked at each other confused, and Amy took a look. She saw Knuckles walk over to what looked like the boys. She thought _did he just find them?_

Knuckles stepped behind the two hedgehogs and said, "So are you two Sonic and Shadow?"

The two turned around, and Shadow immediately narrowed his red eyes. He did not like the way the Echidna made him feel. Both of them moved into a fighting position, and Sonic glanced around for any sign of Sally.

Even though she and Amy were able to see them from the bushes, he saw no sign of them. Sniffing the air, he caught their scent on the strange Echidna. His feet moved him into action, and he charged for Knuckles, who was able to grab hold of his arms.

Sonic tried pushing forward, saying, "Alright you, what did you do with Sally?"

Knuckles was able to keep Sonic from grabbing his neck, but he was, unfortunately, unable to keep his eye on both of the brothers. Shadow saw the perfect opportunity and teleported beside Knuckles. While the Echidna wrestled with Sonic, the older half-brother made something glow in his hand.

Knuckles sensed the danger and threw Sonic away before dodging the chaos spear. It struck a rock and turned everything around it as black as ash. Looking at Shadow, he clenched his teeth and thought _chaos energy, huh? It looks like they are not willing to talk. I will have to knock some sense into them first._

He clenched a fist and ran for Shadow. It was unusual for anything mortal to ignore Shadow's spears, but Shadow already had his suspicions. He quickly teleported out of the way and kicked Knuckles after quickly reappearing. It startled Knuckles and made him fall against a tree.

Refusing to quit, he forced himself to stand on his feet. Shadow, however, was not once to spot just because his opponent was hit once. He charged another chaos spear. Knuckles rolled out of the way the moment it was fired. It burned the tree in the way into nothing but ash.

While Shadow hunted for Knuckles with his chaos spears, Sonic rubbed his head. When Knuckles threw him earlier, it made him go headfirst into a tree hole. Fortunately for him, nothing had made its home in there for a while. After much struggling, he pulled out his head and glared at the Echidna. He was somehow stronger than him, an odd thing for a mortal.

Sally immediately walked through the skinny trees and bamboo, trying to reach him, thinking _there has been a serious misunderstanding. Knuckles will not hurt us._

"Sonic!" she called, but Sonic was already too busy running.

Amy ran past Sally and said, "Come on, Sally, we have to talk to them before something happens."

Sally looked at Sonic who joined the fight and started jumping at Knuckles. While dodging Shadow's chaos spear, he had to duck Sonic. Shadow took aim again while Sonic tried to kick Knuckles. The Echidna glanced both ways and ducked. The chaos spear had hit Sonic, who looked a bit fried, making him resemble a burnt couch as he stood there, looking irritated.

Shadow's red eyes narrowed at Knuckles, and he decided to use a trick of his own. Amy ran towards him while he plotted how to quickly deal with the Echidna. Knuckles did not realise that she came either and looked around for something useful.

Shadow teleported and moved close enough to grab Knuckles' throat, hoping to end it quickly. As the ultimate life form held onto him, he ran towards a wall and Knuckles up against it. To Shadow's surprise, Knuckles was able to pull his hand off with much ease.

Immediately after pulling Shadow's grip off his neck, Knuckles punched him in the face. It actually made Shadow, the one of the most feared werewolves on earth, crash into a bush. He pushed himself up, looking angry. No one has ever touched him like that and lived to tell about it.

Something jumped on him, yelling, "Stop, Shadow! He's not the enemy!"

Shadow quickly glanced at what grabbed him while still on his hands and knees and saw Amy tightly holding onto his stomach. Her green eyes were closed with much fear in her face. She pulled him slightly closer and said, "Knuckles is really nice, and he even helped Sally and me when we were in trouble."

Shadow sat up and grabbed her shoulders, saying, "If that were the case then why did he attack us?"

Amy threw her arms down by her sides in irritation and said, "You started that one."

He muttered, looking away, "No...Sonic was." He tapped his chin while Knuckles stood in the back, no longer attacking. Shadow looked at him, "All I merely wanted to know was how he knew our names and had your scent on him."

"Oh that. That's easy to explain." Shadow looked at her as she explained, "You see, when we were separated from you, we were starting to feel very hungry, so when Knuckles walked by, he offered to share his food with us. Then I asked him if he saw you guys, and Sally described you guys to him."

"I see," he looked at Knuckles, still filled with suspicion, "but it doesn't mean that he is not dangerous."

"Huh?" she looked at him confused and stood in between him and Knuckles, "He's not dangerous. I already told you that he helped us."

"You are still missing a huge part of the picture."

"What part?" she asked, still not understanding how Shadow was thinking.

"The part where your friend is not what he seems."

While Amy argued with her boyfriend, Sally had already reached Sonic and told him the same thing Amy did. Sonic then told Sally an interesting fact.

"Is that really all he did?" he shrugged as he said, "Heh, guess that Shadow just made me paranoid."

She looked up at him, letting go of his arm, "And how did he do that?"

"Eh, he said something about there being something like a vampire around here."

"V—vam—vampire..." she leaned closer and gave his shoulder a slight tug, "Say, Sonic, what else did he say to you about vampires?"

"Huh? Well," he crossed his arms, "he did say that this island was an old abandoned hideout from them. Oh by the way," he whispered to her as she looked at him interested, "this is a floating island. You know what that means, right?"

"Floating island?" she slightly backed up as though she had trouble believing what he just said.

"Only Shadow could take us off. He didn't tell me exactly what we were floating over. He just smirked and said he wouldn't put past the werewolves to have it over something deadly."

"Deadly...like lava?" she tilted her head.

He shook his head, shrugging, "Who knows. But I will tell you one thing. I'm going to grab you, Amy, and Shadow and then get off this place."

"I thought we came here for the magic sword."

He rolled his green eyes, "Forget it, Sal. I don't like this place. We could fight without it. Just because Shadow had trouble with this 'Ener-what's-his-face,' doesn't mean that we do not stand a chance."

He grabbed her hand and led her to Shadow and Amy, saying, "Come on, Sal, let's get off this rock."

The gesture surprised her at first, but she followed his pull. It took him a while, but he had warmed up to her, and she strangely could not imagine not hanging around him. Having there made her feel for once whole.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The time was nearly right. It was two more minutes until the president reached the town's parade. Geoffrey was almost unable to contain himself. Rubbing his hands together, he said to Fiona, who stood beside him, checking her makeup, "It's smooth sailing now, Fiona. This place will be ours."

She touched up her lip gloss and said, "Uh huh...Sure thing."

"And once this place is in our clutches, we will be unstoppable. This world will be completely ours, and our boss could just jump..." Enerjak stepped behind him, which almost made Geoffrey jump.

Enerjak looked at the frozen skunk and asked, "Oh, do carry on, I'm curious about the rest. Your boss could just jump where exactly?"

"Uh, jump...jump...for...joy. Yeah, that's it. Jump for joy," Geoffrey said as Fiona quickly nodded in agreement.

"Hmm..." the strong looking Echidna walked away and Fiona looked at the Skunk.

She said, "When we get the president, you get rid of him."

"I thought you liked _'Enerjakie'_?"

She immediately grabbed his black suite and lifted him above the ground saying, "You fool! That was just an act!"

"It was?" he looked at her wide-eyed.

The fox lady shook him, "Of course it was. You actually thought I was into that creep! Only someone insane would go for someone who looks like he just left a grave!"

He lifted his hands defensively, "Alright already, I'll do it, if..." a twisted smile formed on him.

She looked at him questionably as she raised an eyebrow, "If what?"

The skunk began to laugh, "Are you really going to play that game with me, Fiona? I'm talking about a date here. After all, I am..."

She threw him down and said, poking at his chest, "Not while you are in that form. One look of us doing that and then Shadow will be all over us."

"But he ain't here," his hand reached under her chin, "And he what don't know, can't hurt him."

"As you and I both know, he has a knack for showing up at the wrong place at the wrong time. You two have so much history it isn't even that funny."

"Heh, I'm not that scared of him, and especially not of Sonic. Unlike Sonic, I'm not some stupid half-breed..."

The fox lifted a hand, "Shh, quiet." She lowered her hand as her blue eyes watched behind her, "The president is here."

"Really? Well then," the skunk fixed his hat, covering his face a bit more, and he reached into his pocket, "Let's get this show on the road. And after we deal with him," he pulled out the blue sphere, "I'll get rid of Sonic with this baby."

Geoffrey, however, was not given much time to enjoy looking at his new toy. With one agile kick in the head from someone else, he dropped the jewel. As he rubbed his head and Fiona helped him up, a young woman's slender hand picked it up, and her turquois eyes looked at them. She was albino, and a mask as black as the rest of her formfitting outfit covered her mouth.

The thief did not dare spend too much time staring at them. She made a quick getaway through the massive crowd.

Geoffrey yelled in a panic, "After her. Without that, we will be dead meat!"

They chased after the thief as fast as their feet would carry them. Unfortunately for the two, the woman was not only fast, but cunning too. She weaved her way through the tightest parts of the crowds, and when her trail led them to an alley, they met a dead end but no woman.

It was as though she vanished into thin air.

Geoffrey looked around, saying, "Where'd she go? That thieving little missy couldn't have gone that far!"

Cheering came from the crowds, and the two looked at each other. They hurried returned to their posts in a sloppy fashion and nearly tripped over each other as they stood next to the rest of security, posing as CIA agents.

"He is here!" one man shouted as the crowd became louder.

Enerjak glanced at them slightly and said, "Do me a favor. Don't disappoint me. I'm a terrible loser."

It was filled with so much intimidation that it made the both of them gulp at the same time. While Geoffrey and Fiona watched the start of the parade, Shadow and Amy were still dealing with Knuckles.

Shadow looked at Amy, who still stood in between them, and said, "Your friend is a vampire."

Instead of becoming scared like he expected, she smiled and said, "What wrong with that?"

"Uh, you do know what makes up their diet, right?"

"Of course I do, but if he really wanted to eat me and Sally, he would've done that by now," she continued to smile, which made Shadow rub his forehead. She patted him on the shoulder, "You are a werewolf, but I have no problem with dating you."

He looked at her annoyed, "That's a little bit different."

"How?" she asked.

"Vampires suck on your blood, werewolves don't," he nodded, believing that he made an excellent point.

Amy then said, "True, but werewolves have been known to eat people. I just know by now that you won't do that. Otherwise you would have done that quite a while ago."

He lifted a finger, about to object, but he stayed quiet.

His girlfriend continued as she smiled, "See, you have nothing to worry about."

"I suppose, you could be right," the werewolf watched the Echidna who looked at the two arguing.

Knuckles extended his hand and said, "So are we on good terms, here?"

"For now," Shadow muttered, shaking his hand.

Sonic then zipped towards them, pulling Sally. He yelled, "Watch out, Shadow, that Echidna is the vampire!"

It made Shadow rub his head in irritation as though a headache was coming. For one, he already sensed that Knuckles was a vampire, and secondly, he and Amy established that he might be a friendly one.

Sonic quickly dove in between them and said to Knuckles, "Alright, vampire, this time when we fight, I will not be thrown away again. I'm ready for that stunt." He began to cockily smirk as he energetically said, "Come on give me your best shot!"

Shadow tried to grab him, but Sonic moved out of the way, not even aware that his brother was trying to get a hold of him. Sally noticed it though, and Knuckles just had to step aside when Sonic ran towards him. Sonic nearly rammed his head into a tree, but he stopped in time.

Amy said, waving her hands, "Wa—wait a minute, Sonic. He's not that bad."

He looked at her and said, "Oh, sure. That's what they all say."

In the short while that she made Sonic stop to talk, Shadow teleported behind him and scuffed him.

Sonic quickly looked at his brother and asked, "What?"

Shadow looked down at him and said, "This vampire poses no threat."

"Why's that?" the blue hedgehog scratched his head, confused.

"Because he has not attacked the girls," the ultimate life form said, looking at Knuckles.

Sonic crossed his arms, looking at his brother, saying, "This wouldn't have by any chance to do with Amy telling you this, right?"

"I trust her judgement," he said in a lower voice, "But I will wait and see if he will do anything suspicious."

Sonic's ear perked up, "Oh, I see. That makes sense."

Knuckles said in a louder voice, "You know, you shouldn't really be making plans where everyone could hear you."

The two hedgehogs looked at Knuckles, who stood behind them with the girls. Knuckles then said, "I think I'm still hungry. I'll grab something to eat."

Sonic and Shadow looked at each other, and Sonic whispered, "Yeah, I'll bet he is hungry with two mortal girls hanging around, pumping with blood."

Shadow nodded and said, "Now didn't I tell you that we will catch him sooner or later?"

"Yeah that's right. I'll bet that he is going to just grab a deer to save himself and convince everyone that he has gone vegetarian. I've seen some do that before." Sonic shook his head, "It never lasts though because deer blood isn't that nutritious."

Knuckles looked back at the others, even though he did not hear what the two said, and told everyone, "If you guys want, you can come."

Amy said, excited, "Sure, how about you, Sally?"

The squirrel nodded, "It couldn't hurt to come." Sally began to smile.

When they got to the spot that Knuckles wanted to go, Sonic and Shadow stared at what he was doing with twitching eyes and dropped jaws. The Echidna sat by some bushes, cross-legged, eating a melon that he had split in half by banging it against his knee.

They thought looking unsure _this is a vampire, right?_

Knuckles held out a melon to them and asked, "Want some?"

Sonic said, "Uh, no thanks." He still stared at Knuckles, "So, you're a vegetarian, huh?"

"Yep," Knuckles said as he chewed on his food with a happy face. It was as though he was proud of it. He explained, "I'm a mutant." Another bite was taken.

Amy said to Shadow, "See I told you he was okay. If it weren't for him, Sally and I still would've been starving."

"Uh...yeah," Shadow said, still unable to believe that he was seeing a vampire eat a melon.

Vampires were strictly carnivores, and it was believed that if any of them ate something that was not filled with blood, they get sick. Knuckles should have been on the ground, choking on his food as if it was poison. Instead he sat there, eating like a normal person.

Knuckles swallowed the last of the melon and asked as he continued to sit, "So what brought you guys here?"

Shadow said, "We were on our way to find a sword that is capable of opening other dimensions. It is our best bet to get rid of another Echidna named Enerjak. He is incredibly power hungry and will not stop for anything. His own world is in ruins because of what he did to it."

Amy asked, "He is not from here? I didn't know that. Until all of what happened the last few days, I would have never believed in dimensional hopping."

Shadow looked at her and said, "It's very real. I had to seal him in this place where only darkness exists."

She tilted her head, "What an odd place. How could something like even be real?"

"It just is. There are several different worlds out there, some which you wouldn't even consider realistic out there. Some are even filled with different versions of you and me."

"Really?" she looked interested in the new information, and she hugged him, "Well so long as you are here with me, I have nothing to fear. We just have to get the sword and stop Enerjak."

Knuckles watched Shadow with a knowing face and said, "That place, where there is only nothingness. Are you talking about 'the zone of silence'?"

Looking at the Echidna, the werewolf said, "Yes, that is correct. Are you familiar with it?"

Slightly depressed, the vampire looked to the side, saying nothing.

The others did not understand why it made him upset, and Sally crouched in front of him asking, "Hey, are you okay?"

Knuckles looked up at her and still avoided looking at her, muttering, "Yeah, I'm fine. It has just been a long night." Remembering why they were there, he told Shadow, still sitting, "If it's a sword to stop Enerjak that you are looking for, there is one I had found while exploring a cave. It has the ability to cut through different dimensions but could only be used with large quantities of chaos energy." He stood up, "I will take you there right now."

They followed him through the bushes, which he navigated through with much ease, and came upon a shrine on ground level. Seven pillars that each had glowing emeralds of different colors decorating their tops and on some of the stone pillars were hieroglyphics depicting Echidnas fighting different battles.

When they got to the top of the stairs, they got to the center of it. There was nothing there except space, indicating that something big should have sat there. Knuckles crouched down and lifted a stone panel in the ground.

Under the panel were ancient artifacts, gems, and things that were found all over the floating continent. Knuckles reached in and dug through his collection. Amy crouched on the ground in front of him as he dug it. When he saw her pink hand, he froze for a moment with a sad face, but quickly shook his head and kept searching.

Shadow narrowed his red eyes at the Echidna's reaction wondering what was with that odd reaction.

Knuckles said to Amy as he looked, "So you are a hedgehog, huh?"

He started pulling out other things, finding that it getting difficult to sort through all the stuff.

She nodded, "Yep. Why do you ask?"

He muttered, pulling out two thick books with blank covers, "I have only seen Echidnas with that fur color."

"That's true. They are the only species out there who normally have pink hair because it is a shade of red." She shrugged, "I'm just different."

"You wouldn't happen to have any Echidna in you, would you?" he asked, not looking too hopeful as he kept his eyes on what he fishing through, trying to find something he had once thrown in there years ago.

She shook her head, "Nope. No one in my family has Echidna in them. My mom and dad were both hedgehogs, but none of them were pink, or any shade like it for that matter." After watching him some more, she asked, "About this friend Sally and I reminded you of, what happened to her?"

Briefly looking at her with his purple eyes, he muttered, "Nothing. It has been a while."

Looking down again, he said in a louder tone, "Ah, ha, here it is."

In his grip, he yanked out a sword that was plain aside from the one ruby on its hilt.

Holding it in front of Shadow, he said, "I will give this to you on one condition."

Shadow lowered his hands and narrowed his red eyes, still not totally able to give a strange vampire all of his trust, "What condition?"

The sword hung close to Knuckles side, its tip scrapping the pale grey stone tiles filled with ancient history as the Echidna tapped its tarnished handle and said, "I get to come. Enerjak's friend has given me more than enough reason to track him down. If Enerjak is able to come back here, his friend can't be too far."

"I see," Shadow still did not take his eyes off him, not even when the girls seem to have taken such a strong liking to their new island friend.

Shadow reached over to Amy and said, "Stay close."

"Huh?' she looked over her shoulder and glanced at him saying, "I thought we already figured out that Knuckles is not the enemy here?"

"That's not the reason. It's Enerjak. We are about to face him, and I don't want you wandering to where I cannot see you. He is known to be cruel and cunning. You are to not be caught up in that."

Her hand slipped into his, and she gave a quick smile as he slowly looked up at her, "I won't be." Filled with much determination, she clenched her fist with a pumped up attitude, "As long as I'm able, I will always be by your side and will fight till the bitter end."

He looked at her more, but his lips parted in slight worry. It was true. She was very willing, so willing that the foolish mortal will perish quickly, powers or no powers. It made him question why did he unwittingly interact with such a being who is easy to get killed, and was yet, so easy to love at the same time.

Was it fate that they met, or was it accident?

She kissed his cheek and whispered, "I'll always be at your side, Shadow. Enerjak does not scare me. Despite all the crazy things that have happened, I was never once afraid."

Looking at her as though he was not sure if what she said carried any grain of wisdom or sense, he said, "Why ever not? Those were pretty disturbing things we have seen, and I don't mean Fiona or Geoffrey. I had to protect you over and over from monsters that live in people's nightmares, and one even scarred you," his hand moved back a lock of hair beneath her right ear where an unhealed scratch made its mark.

"Oh, that," she touched the spot as he lowered his hand, "It's just a scratch, but it could've ended a lot worse than that." The pink girl touched his shoulder, "But thanks to you, I'm alright." She pulled him into a hug that caught him by surprise, "And that's why, I know we will survive."

He stiffened for a minute because he did not expect that move from her. It did not take long for him to calm and softly look down at her as she held onto him so tightly. She was definitely one of a kind. There was nothing so sweet, so innocent, so loving, and so...so...trusting.

She truly amazed him as always.

Hugging her back, he pulled her closer and said, "That might be so, but, Amy..."

"Hmm," she looked up at him from her hug, "what is it, Shadow?"

He did not even look at her right away as he stared at the forest, "If things do end looking bad, and if Enerjak becomes too much," the Ultimate Life Form looked at her, "I want you to run and find a place to hide. Even with your powers, you are no match for him. He is sick and twisted. I would hate to think of the things he will do to you if I fail."

She touched his cheek, "You won't."

"You have to run. If I don't make, you have to leave to where it is safe."

"It won't work. Nothing you say will make me go. If you are not there, I won't be able to go on, Shadow." Her forehead touched his coat because of her short height, "I need you."

There was nothing he could have said to convince her to change her mind. For her sake, he knew he had to put a stop to Enerjak.

Sally watched the two talk and felt that their foe was greater than she imagined. He had Shadow so shaken up that she was unable to believe it. The Echidna must have been difficult for him to banish in the first place.

Sonic looked at Knuckles and said, pointing at the sword, "So, how does this thing work again? Didn't you say we needed to use a ton of chaos energy to get it pumping?"

Knuckles lifted it up more so then that others could have a good look at it and nodded saying, "Yep. Without that energy, it is pretty useless. Shadow only got lucky using it the first time to send him into the zone of silence because he was using all of his power. The only problem is if you do have enough power to control the sword, it will take something from you instead, little by little, until you have nothing left in you to so much as move."

"So it's a sucker for energy like a chaos syphon?"

Silent after the blue hedgehog said that, Knuckles eventually said, "Yeah...that's right. It can suck up a lot of chaos energy, but if you have enough of it inside you, you will survive it. Unfortunately, the power you lose can never come back, so if you need, you have to use it wisely. I've seen people use it as a kid. Whenever they used it, be they big or strong, it always ended with the same result. They would die three days afterwards."

Sally held her mouth, "That's terrible."

Sonic looked to Shadow and Amy on the side and asked, "How'd 'doom and gloom' do it without getting like that?"

Knuckles stretched over to where they were and said, "He was probably filled a lot of chaos energy from charging an attack. Unfortunately, I doubt he could use whatever attack that was again."

Amy looked at Shadow, worried, saying, "Is that true, Shadow?"

Shadow sighed, "It's not that big of a deal. I still have a lot of other moves that are way better than that. Besides that was a long time ago."

Knuckles then pointed out, "But you weren't able to increase your aura since, could you?"

The black werewolf became silenced but did not seem to know how to answer that one. Knuckles was not too far from the truth. He was unable to gain more power no matter what powerful thing he killed. Not even defeating something as high level as dragon was able to affect him.

There was more to the vampire than what met the eye. He was well learned in the sword's properties, and for some unknown reason, he was also very familiar with the world of different dimensions. It was as though he had some kind of experience with both of them. It made him also wonder what the Echidna race's connection with the sword was since Knuckles mentioned that some men have been weakened by its energy sucking power.

Knuckles looked at the four and asked, "So are you guys ready to find Enerjak? We could wait till morning, but I don't think we have that sort of luxury. Besides, you wouldn't be talking about him unless you have recently seen him somewhere."

Shadow nodded saying, "Yes. That is correct. He was close to where the people were holding a parade for the president."

"Which country is this?"

Amy awkwardly fiddled with her fingers and said, "Actually, there is technically only one country. A big war broke out, so everything is in just one spot called Station Square. You have never left this island, so it is only natural that you would not know anything about this."

Knuckles nodded as he heard this information. He then stopped and looked at her as though he had a thought, but he remained quiet about it.

Shadow looked at all of them and said, "Time is wasting. We need to find Enerjak before he gets away."

Amy nodded and said, "Right. Then let's go."

Nodding at her, he glanced around and closed his eyes. A green glow cloaked them until in a flash of light they vanished into a chaos control.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The five safely arrived on the surface. Knuckles looked at the remains of the chaos energy floating in the air and was surprised by how much energy was in it, considering that Shadow used the magic sword.

He watched how closely Amy stuck to Shadow and held his arm, and he felt lonely once again. It was ages since someone looked at him the way she did at Shadow. Jealously was the last thing he felt, but he still missed that one friend who told him quite often that she had no intention of leaving. One day it seemed as though she foretold the future, but before he blinked, she was taken from him forever. It seemed like forever. There was just too much time since they spoke.

No matter what he tried, he was never able to lay his eyes on her again, his best friend. While the others kept walking ahead of him, he was left in his thoughts as to why he wanted to seize the chance of seeing Enerjak. Enerjak's connections were something that greatly mattered to him.

The cheering crowds and weird surroundings barely interested him, which his friends found odd. He told them he never left the island. Being there for as long as he was should have made him a stranger to modern society. He didn't even blink at something as strange as a vehicle. That should not have been even invented on the island.

More people chattered in the back, but certain sound ahead made his head move. He looked up with interest and knitted eyebrows as his mouth formed an 'o.' Amy looked back and forth, shielding her eyes from the sun while Sonic jumped onto a lamp post for a better view.

Amy said, "Now where, oh where, would Enerjak be?"

Sally sighed with a hand on her hip saying, "With a crowd this thick, he has probably disappeared somewhere else by now."

Sonic raised a finger and called down from his perched, "Never say never, Sal, even something as rotten as him has gotta show up somewhere."

"Did you ever have to deal with him?" she tilted her head at him in interest.

He looked around again, holding onto the light as a bird sat on him, "Nah, not really."

"Then how do you know how rotten he actually is?"

"Anything working with that skunk has gotta be low."

"Say, Sonic, I was wondering."

He was still looking around in a scout position, except he held no telescope, "Yeah, Sal?"

"From the very beginning you did not seem to like Geoffrey. Did you ever meet him before? I mean with all of this werewolf and magic stuff, it would not seem too far-fetched that he would be werewolf or wizard of some sort."

"Eh, I never knew the guy. There was just something about him that got on my nerves, like the way he looked at you and tried going after you. People like him drive me crazy."

"Wait a minute," her blue eyes blinked, but she believed that she figured it out, the thing Sonic had against Geoffrey, "I know what is going on. You got jealous."

He almost fell off his spot and looked down at her, "Ah...who, me, jealous?" At that point with how fast he spoke, he almost seemed nervous. Sitting upright, he carelessly waved a hand down, "Pffthp, not a chance. There ain't no way, I'd get jealous of a Skunk."

Looking down at her, seeing that he was unable to convince her to think otherwise, he said, "Alright, fine, so I didn't like seeing someone who smelled like a low life touching someone who smelled...so..."

"Smelled so what?" it made her curious as to how he thought of her at such an early point.

Somehow he was able to tell right off the bat that Geoffrey was not trustworthy. That explained why every time the skunk showed Sonic would frown or look like a dog about to growl or bite. But instead of telling her what sort of scent she had, he continued to look ahead with a hand shielding his eyes like Amy.

"Uh, innocent," he muttered, trying to not have eye contact.

It made her blush like she did every time he spoke like that. Even then, he had thought so highly of her. For that, she liked him even more. She looked up at his shape under the sunlight as white and grey clouds sailed over their heads.

Before they blinked, something red whizzed in between them. It was Knuckles. Whatever caught his attention made him speed up and hurry into the crowds.

Sonic quickly looked down and swung to the other side of the lamp post for a better look, even though he just looked like a sailor playing with the mast.

He asked, "What's up, Knux?"

Knuckles, of course, was long gone. He squeezed through the gathered humans and Mobians as he constantly kept up his guard. It was difficult to follow him as Amy, Sally, and Sonic pushed and got caught in the crowd.

Sonic managed to get both legs through as he tried to free his arms as Amy asked, "Where...is..." she pulled again with closed eyes since the effort was trying, "he...going?"

Another human stepped in front of her as she said, "You've got to be kidding me? There are way too many people here."

Squirming while Sonic helped Sally out of the tight crowd, Amy said, "There has to be a better way to move through all of this."

The couple helped her while her pink eyes bended back in irritation. They were standing on a small, narrow path where everyone clamped, cheering the president's arrival. Sally could see him coming in an open roof convertible, waving to everyone that welcomed him.

In the back were Geoffrey and Fiona. The Skunk readjusted his black hat while the fox rechecked her makeup with her compact mirror.

Geoffrey muttered, "Alright, time to get this show on the road."

"Right behind you," Fiona answered.

Two hands landed on their shoulders, which both of them look back with frightened huge eyes. The red-eyed Echidna that their boss forced them to work with stood there, looking over their shoulders.

He looked at Geoffrey and said, "I'd wish you good luck, but that goes against my belief."

The Skunk asked, "Then why bother mentioning it?" as he pulled out his shoulder and upper arm.

"Because it's against my belief to waste good luck on incompetence," Enerjak said, eyeing the crowds.

Growling as he stood there, Geoffrey's face turned red. He wanted to do something about the Echidna so badly. He had thought several times that if he transformed into his real appearance, which was not a Mobian skunk, he would have more respect. As far as he was concerned, he had enough power to send Sonic packing, but his skunk form was limiting him.

When they find that thief and take back the jewel, he would make everyone sing a different tune, and then maybe Fiona would change hers.

Enerjak pulled out a pocket watch and looked at it as though some other plan was brewing within him. Closing it, he looked at them and said, "Time is everything from here on. The President's limousine is about to pull over by that sidewalk. The rest is up to you, _Security_."

The two marched ahead and met with the president. Geoffrey opened the door for him and Fiona stood attentively, saluting him wearing dark sunglasses.

While the villains escorted him through the crowds, Knuckles still ran around, stopping every now and then to look up and around the tall buildings. It was easy to see that whatever it was it had his utmost attention.

He eventually stopped when he spotted it. It was a dark silhouette of a hedgehog who watched the crowd with much interest except no cheering came from him. Something about him resembled a lion observing his lunch.

The other three caught up to him, and Sonic said, "Alright, Knux, what's going on? Why'd you go off in such a hurry?"

Knuckles looked back at the hedgehog and said, "I sensed something," his purple eyes turned back to the dark figure again, "and this time, I won't let him get away like he did last time."

"Uh, who is this guy?"

Knuckles clenched his teeth, growling at the guy, ignoring Sonic's last question. Hedgehog defensively lifted his hands while the Echidna made that menacing sound. That stranger across the road had him angry.

Amy looked at the strange hedgehog and noticed an intriguing fact. Enerjak walked over to him and spoke to him about something his hands behind his back.

She quickly pointed a finger at him and said, "It's him. Enerjak's right there."

Shortly after she spoke, a swift black blur swept over her head on the rooftops. She looked up and saw Shadow running there in a hurry. Apparently he was trailing Knuckles from there instead of being trapped in the crowds.

Sonic also jumped at the chance to catch up while Knuckles was hot on his tail. It surprised him how well the vampire was able to keep up with his pace. Nothing was able to do that before, unless Shadow was counted.

Sally looked at Amy as they ran in the back, and she said, "I didn't know Shadow was there. That was actually pretty smart."

The pink girl nodded, "That's Shadow for you. He already hates crowds so you could say that it is a bit of talent of his to avoid people like the plague."

"Well, it looks like that talent of his really came in handy this time around."

"That's for sure. Say, Sally, I recognise Enerjak because Shadow pointed him out before, but I don't think I have seen the hedgehog before. It seems that Knuckles doesn't like him, and he looks like Shadow, but doesn't at the same time."

Sally nodded, "You are right. There is a resemblance. I wonder why," she then looked startled, "Hey, you don't suppose that the two are related do you?"

The pink girl was silent for a second, "It's...possible. I don't see why not, but then why is he talking to Enerjak?"

"Maybe the hedgehog doesn't know he is evil, but then again," she remembered Knuckles' fixed sights on him with so much anger, "Knuckles did not seem to like him at all."

"That won't mean that he is not related. Anyone could have bad relatives."

While they ran to keep up, Amy frowned as she tried to watch her step.

Shadow hurriedly stepped on the roof tiles, knocking down a couple as he race Sonic to where the two suspects conversed. Enerjak glanced up after halting his conversation, and he narrowed his red glowing eyes behind his shades at the approaching company.

He ignored Knuckles, who yelled, "Hey, you get over here!"

Sonic would have reached there first, but Shadow moved the same speed as him and was moving first. The older brother landed in front of them and glared at Enerjak.

He asked, "May I help you?"

Sonic said, "Down play dumb with us. We already know you are the bad guys so don't waste your time."

Shadow fired a chaos spear at him, but the Echidna moved too fast and said, "Now, don't jump into things so much, Shadow. Otherwise things might become ugly."

No smirk crossed Shadow's face as he answered, "I highly doubt that. Your words hold no bearing to me. Farewell," he immediately crouched as an energetic charge glowed from his body.

Sonic recognised the move, but he never feared Shadow's fiery power. For some odd reason, he always bounced up again, and plus he had his speed which could outrun it. He didn't want Shadow to have all the fun. He wanted to fight too.

Knuckles looked down at the magic sword he still had and wondered what Shadow was doing. He glanced at Enerjak and the black Hedgehog who seemed to have vanished during the commotion. He gritted his teeth.

Shadow smirked triumphantly when he finished and looked down from the roof at the frozen Enerjak on the sidewalk. Sonic was already safe outside of the frozen time trap he created with chaos energy.

Amy blinked in surprise and thought _amazing. Who knew chaos energy was capable of doing that. No one has really been able to tap the chaos force before so I have only read about it during my free time, and there were only stories about its strange and unpredictable powers._

Sally looked around, remembering the other Hedgehog, who seemed to no longer be there. She also noticed Knuckles' face. He was not too happy.

Shadow jumped in front of Knuckles and held out his hand saying, "Alright, hand me the sword so then I could get rid of him."

The Echidna looked at his hand, but instead said, "I don't think so. I could already sense what you've lost from it last time."

He swung it in the air, and it sliced an opening that began to suck Enerjak through the portal. Just as it pulled the frozen Echidna from his spot, the time freezing spell wore off. Enerjak looked back and forth and performed a quick chaos control.

Knuckles swiftly closed the opening and said, "He broke free."

The girls looked around, paranoid about where the villain might reappear. No one showed up, but Knuckles still looked at where the portal once stood.

"I almost had him. He and his friend have to be stopped," he quietly growled as his fists shook.

Amy turned to him and asked, "We all want a piece of him. Don't worry, Knuckles, we will get him next time."

He didn't answer. Even though his eyebrows were not as knitted as they were earlier, he still had a stern expression as he tiredly looked at the spot. Looking down at the sword, he held onto it a bit tighter.

Shadow said, "His chaos control cannot be traced. No doubt that has to do with tapping into his world's chaos force and not ours. That has always struck me as odd, but it is the only thing I could think as to why I could never follow it."

Amy tilted her head, "Why is that so odd?"

"A chaos force is something that could only be used in one dimension. It cannot be taken with you to another world. It's virtually impossible."

Knuckles then said, "Not unless he produces his own."

They looked back at him, and Sonic lifted a finger saying, "hate to break it to you, but I don't think you could make your own chaos energy. Now _that_ is impossible."

"Not necessarily. When you are born with chaos energy, it runs through your veins and becomes part of your blood. It was because of that that he was able to break out of the frozen time so easily."

Shadow crossed his arms while Amy held her mouth.

Sally asked, "If that's case there has to be way to catch him and then send him into the zone of silence. He needs to be distracted."

Sonic's ear twitched, and he looked at her saying, "Say what?"

She spun around and looked at him with both hands clenched hopefully, "Distracted. Some of us have to keep him so busy that he would not have time to teleport out of there."

Knuckle sheathed his sword and said, "To do that you would need more than just a distraction."

Sonic looked at him interested and asked, "Oh yeah, like what exactly?"

"He will have to be knocked out as well otherwise he will just do the same thing again, and none of us want that. It will just be a pain to track him down again."

Amy smiled and winked saying, "Then it's settled. Sonic and Shadow could keep Enerjak busy while Knuckles opens the portal, but he is to only do that after Enerjak is knocked out, otherwise he will notice the portal. Then he will be gone, and we will have a whole lot less to worry about."

Sonic smirked and said, "Sounds good to me."

While the five left to restart their search, the albino thief from earlier jumped into the alley behind them and pulled out the blue sphere again. She looked at it with the sunlight shining through it.

"Lovely," she breathed.

"Hey, will you hurry it up," an Echidna said behind her.

He also wore a lot of black, but his face was still uncovered. His fur was dark red, slightly ruffled with the occasional scar.

The pretty thief looked at him and smoothly walked over to him saying, "Why, Nightshade, I'm surprised that you came all the way out here. I thought you hated people seeing that vampires were no longer extinct."

The Echidna stayed in the shadows of the alley, "I do, but you were taking a long time. Find anything?"

She chuckled and raised her hand. The Echidna looked at sphere and back at the woman.

"What do you think, is it not gorgeous?" she excitedly touched her cheek as she admired how the sun made the colors in the blue crystal dance.

"Yeah huh..." he looked at her annoyed, "I take it this is just another thing you want to add to your collection?"

She was still fixed on her prize while he searched his pockets, "But of course. How could I not? This yummy little gem is going to touch it up nicely..."

A box was held in front of her, and she looked at it surprised.

As she carefully took it and lifted the lid, Nightshade explained, "I had found this at a shop and thought you could use something to left your spirits. It is your birthday after all, Rouge."

The bat smiled back and said, "It's beautiful."

Her arm lifted up the bracelet she had tied on, and she could not get over how it sparkled. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires were bunched together on each cluster dangling from the gift.

She mused out loud, "This had to have cost a fortune. Where'd you get it?"

He smirked, and she immediately knew as she began to smile more. Her arms wrapped around him as her turquois eyes looked at him.

"Hmm...you really are something else. You stole this for little ol' me? Why, how generous of you," she kissed him as he passionately returned her kisses.

Her ear twitch which confused her, and looking to her left, she saw Geoffrey and Fiona again. The Skunk did a double take at her and tapped Fiona on the shoulder. She nodded and whispered something to him. He smirked and left her with the President.

Rouge suddenly looked frightened and tugged her boyfriend's shirt saying, "We had better go, Nightshade. It looks like something just came up."

He looked at what troubled her and saw Geoffrey come.

Whispering to Rouge, he said, "That not a problem. Disappearing has always been easy for us to do, and that doesn't work, well," he showed a fist, "there is the old fashioned way."

Rouge smirked at him and said, "Now there is something that I could always count on."

Like shadows, they slipped away, leaving Geoffrey again with a dead end. He looked around and noticed a grate in the ground that looked slightly moved. He heard their footsteps quickly moved behind it, and he looked interested as he listened. They were down there.

Crouching down, he pulled it out of the metal frame and crawled through the opening. Those two had to be down there somewhere.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Sonic was walking ahead of the others while they searched for Enerjak. He could not have left just like that. There was a reason for him to be there. Amy stretched onto her tiptoes to watch the parade and wished for more height. Compared to the normal Mobian height, she was actually pretty short, and she knew it. Even so, she wanted to try seeing something.

While keeping an eye out for any of the villains they need to find, she watched the parade continue. The President was being escorted like he was every time he arrived at the town square, and he waved with a hearty smile.

A young attractive woman guarded him wearing a CIA uniform, sunglasses, and hat. The badges on her chest and shoulders sparkled in the hot light as she trailed him and stood attentively. Her bushy red tail twitched and curled while keeping her sights set on all that happened around him.

Amy felt some kind of strangeness around her and leaned a bit forward in between two people. Another man in his forties stepped in her way, cutting her off.

"Aw..." she groaned, and she tried looking around him.

The man was big for her to do that and she impatiently huffed. Pulled her springy bangs down, she looked up and jumped up and down, trying to look over everyone's heads. She was still too short.

A small harmless growl came from her as she glared at the crowd. A pair of strong hands grabbed her sides and lifted her above everyone. It surprised her, and she looked down at who held her. Shadow stood there, looking straight ahead.

Her hair dangled down around her face as she continued to look, red in the face.

"See anything interesting?" he asked, since he could not see anything from where he was.

He decided to not go on the roofs because Amy was scared of heights and refused to go up there. If he chose to stay up there while she was down there, something could easily snatch her. That way he could keep an eye on her.

She looked again, finding it easier to see everything. The President was entering an apartment with the agent, but aside from that, there was nothing else to see.

Looking down at him, she said, "I don't think so, but there is something about that lady guarding the president that has been bugging me."

"Like what?" he looked like he was wondering about it too.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it is nerves because she is a fox."

"That might not be nerves. Let's find the others and see if we could check this out. I have a feeling that you are on to something here."

"Right," he then lowered her, "Thanks, Shadow."

"No problem," he pulled her arm and weaved his way through the crowd to find the Hedgehog.

Chaos control would have been used, but that was dangerous in such a crowd. The risk was too great to materialize into a person since there seemed to be too many moving. Enerjak must have been an expert to do it without an accident otherwise he would have tried a different method, unless he knew of a place where it was certain that no one would be there.

He kept Amy close as he pulled her along. That maniac could be anywhere there. Looking at the apartment, an idea struck him. Pulling his girlfriend into his grasp, he jumped onto the roof.

"Sorry about this, Amy, but things suddenly got urgent," he said as he began to run.

She tightly held onto his neck, "What do you mean?"

The wind combed her pink hair back as it tunneled through her pointy ears. Her eyes became shut closed as the rush of the air ran into them. Shadow's feet smoothly moved along the tiles, running from the tiles before they budged or cracked.

He said, while keeping his attention focused on where his feet touched, "I figured out where Enerjak went. When he teleported, he not only wanted to escape another long banishment, he wanted us to believe he left to some random place in the crowds."

"But isn't that what he did?" she held onto him tighter as he leapt onto a lower building.

"That would have been the normal thing to think if you didn't understand chaos control or Enerjak very well. There were two things I had to factor in to put together the pieces. It all makes sense. He needs a place that is clear to do a chaos control, and then there is the reason why he came here to top that."

"You mean you know why he is here?" she asked just as he stopped.

He looked back at her as she held onto his back, "Power attracts him, and earlier we saw him interact with Fiona and Geoffrey. And after he disappears, the President is being guarded by a fox in a CIA uniform. Interestingly, we saw the two wearing the exact same uniform before we left to grab the magic sword."

Amy's emerald eyes grew, "Hey, wait a minute now that I think about it, she did look like Fiona. They're after the President!"

"My thoughts exactly," he said as he began to run again.

"But that still doesn't explain where Enerjak disappeared to," she looked at him.

"That part was not hard to figure out. When Fiona trailed the President, where did they go?"

"They went into an apartment just like every other time he came here. Is that where Enerjak is?"

He looked down at where Sonic and Sally were, "That's the theory, no guarantees though. He might be waiting somewhere else just to through us off."

"I don't know, Shadow. It sounds like you are dead on to where he went."

He landed in front of the two of their friends. Looking around a corner, he saw there was no sign of Knuckles.

He asked them, "What happened to the Echidna?"

Sonic said, "He said that we would better chances if we split up and meet back here. He mentioned something about sensing strange energy."

"Is that so? Then we had better find him."

"Uh, won't that make it hard for him to find us if we move away from the meeting spot?" Sonic asked as he followed his brother.

"Not necessarily. I happen to have a good idea of where he is, and chances are he is going to need us to come and help."

While that happened, Geoffrey was still following the thieves' trail down into a sewer. The tunnel broke off into three routes, and he looked around carefully. They could not have moved too far away.

He spotted footprints that wandered into the left side, and he continued that way for a while. Eventually a dead end showed up, but these were thieves he was dealing with at the moment. They were supposed to be sly, meaning things were not what they appeared.

After searching the seemingly smooth curved metal walls, he felt something and pushed it. A door swung open, revealing a secret entrance. He smirked evilly as he entered the room. On the other side was a rather nice looking place, and once he was inside, the door closed itself and locked.

Going down that place, it looked like a place where someone could actually live in as he looked around and analyzed the place.

Before he blinked, a fist whacked him and had sent him flying. That punch was stronger than he pictured, and when he got up, he saw an Echidna with a face younger than Nightshade's. He was also shorter, and was possibly in his middle teens of fifteen or fourteen.

He said, guarding the rest of the path, "Okay, don't move and you won't get thrown out too hard."

The Skunk gave him a scowl as he wiped his cheek with the back of his hand, not saying anything.

When the boy saw that he was not giving up or retreating, he held up his fists a bit more and said, "Uh, you know this is the sewer, right?"

"No kidding," the Skunk said, looking annoyed, "What was your first clue?"

Smirking, the kid looked around and said, "I don't know. Slim everywhere, bad smell, or how about the dark and gloominess?"

Geoffrey growled and said, "That's it! Now you are going to get it."

He glowed a bit green and moved at the Echidna with slightly more speed. The boy looked slightly surprised as he came close, but another quickly came and punched the Skunk. It threw Geoffrey into the ground and he rolled until he whacked the wall.

When he stood up, the one who punched him said filled with dead seriousness, "Do that again, and I will have no problem pulling your limbs out of their sockets."

The Skunk stared at the Echidna who stood there. It was Nightshade. He must have heard the commotion and came back to help the kid. Rouge stepped out there too and spotted Geoffrey standing there.

She called out, "Hmm...Let me guess," reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a blue gem.

It looked like the blue sphere he and Fiona stole from Sally.

"You came for this," she rolled it in her fingers with a not-so-thrilled look.

The Skunk's face lit up, and he reached out for it saying, "Actually, yeah that's right. Give it to me, and I will leave you three alone."

"I don't know."

His eye twitched, "What do you mean 'you don't know'?"

She caught it in her hand and curled her fingers around it, "I don't do well threats. _If_ I give this back, you have to promise _one_ thing."

He rolled his eyes, "Which is?"

Her turquois eyes narrowed at him, "Don't lay a finger on Nightshade and Kneecaps, and leave us alone right now. I don't want to see you going after any of us again."

Kneecaps looked at her and said, " _Mace_."

Rolling her eyes, she said, "Whatever." Looking at the skunk again, she saw how impatient he was.

Holding out a hand, he said, "Fine, I won't go after any of you again."

"And...?" she said, holding the gem above his hand.

Grumbly, he said, "And I won't show up here again."

It was dropped into his grasp, "There, now was that so hard?"

Nightshade watched him as he left, and Rouge walked behind him to go down another tunnel. She stopped and looked at him.

"Something wrong, Nightshade?" she asked, letting her medium-length, snowy-albino hair dangle close to her face.

It curved her face beautifully and made her seem, perhaps, a bit daring. Nightshade looked back at her with crossed arms.

He said, "I never knew you to give up your gems without a fight. No matter what happened, you always found a way to keep them."

The corners of her lips curled into a troublemaking smile, "That's right. I always do."

Mace and Nightshade glanced at each other, unsure of what she was getting at since they saw Geoffrey leave with the blue gem. Perhaps there was a card Rouge had up her sleeve that none of them were aware of the entire time.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

 **Sorry about taking so long to update. Whenever I work on this, I make sure that it will not have a rushed ending. Also, the internet does not always like letting me post anything. When I finish the story, I will update and fix the poor grammar mistakes I have detected when I reread the story to avoid loopholes. I had found some pretty embarrassing errors that changed the meaning of what I wanted to say such as saying 'pink eyes' instead of 'pink ears,' or when I had Amy say 'staff' instead of 'sword.' Those mistakes definitely have to go. Anyways, here is the next chapter. Hope you readers enjoy it.**

The President and his escort made it to the top floor where everything was properly arranged for him. Down below, outside on the streets, people still cheered and chattered away, creating much sound. Listening to how happy they were filled the man with much confidence that they were going to survive the Robotnic War that destroyed the world.

Humans and Mobians were few but not without hope, and that hope was going to rebuild everything. With that as a boost to his confidence, the President straightened his black suit's neckline and smoothed down his crew cut brunette hair.

The escorting female agent opened the door to his room as he came within two feet of it. Behind them another agent came running, holding onto his black hat. Mr. President recognised him as his escort's friend. She told him that he had an errand to run and would quickly return.

The male Skunk CIA agent huffed in exhaustion but brushed out the wrinkles in his clothing and fixed his hat. Nodding at the other agent, he stood in attention. Mr. President's phone rang in his pocket, and he pulled it out as he entered the doorway.

The agents watched him attentively as he walked, and the chain and the lock secured the door. The fox stayed in close range of him as he spoke of arranging a meeting with parliament. Curtains were lowered to shield any light despite how pleasant the day really was.

Mr. President thought nothing of it, but what made him uneasy was the lack of indoor light. It made no sense why that was so. His protection was there, no one in the crowd appeared to show any form of malice, and the day promised no evil.

Something at that moment seemed off, but that could have been paranoia playing a trick.

He turned to the security and said to the female Fox, "I don't believe this place needs closed drapes just yet, Miss."

Her puffy red tail curled in her hidden excitement as she smiled and said, "Oh, but it does."

"I beg your pardon?" he raised an eyebrow, finding her sudden attitude mixed with bliss and contempt.

She took a bold step to him as her hand tapped her hat and allowed it to roll to the carpet. Her blue eyes were perhaps the brightest things in the room filled with darkness.

The President backed away, knowing almost instantly that the CIA agent was not to be trusted. He turned to the left and spotted the Skunk in the doorframe, leaning against the side, looking amused. It seemed that he too was in cahoots with the female.

He smirked and said, "Careful to not mess him up too badly yet, Fiona. Our boss's pal wants a word with him."

Mr. President glanced back and forth at his two captors and said, "Will someone please tell me what is going on? I will have you know this is a serious offense."

The Skunk rolled his eyes, "P-l-e-a-s-e, as if you call the shots here."

Another entered and said, "Now, Skunk, is that any way to treat our honourable guest?"

It was an Echidna dressed in what resembled Aztec armor and bandages. He glared down at the President, who was speechless from the sight of something looking alive and yet ghostly.

Enerjak continued, "Must excuse him, Mr. President. He can be, oh how would one call it?" he moved one hand up as he thought of a good wording, " _Impertinent_. Come, sit down," his hand patted a single chair with cushions attached to the seat and back, "We have much to discuss."

"I prefer to stand," the man answered, voice wavering from the distrust.

"Suite yourself," Enerjak shrugged.

Trying to keep his dignity in one piece, Mr. President positioned his arms bravely to his sides and stood perfectly straight, "What are you after? Money, wealth?"

He dared not to speak the next thing he suspected, _his life_.

More often than not, people were very expressive of what they wanted and even though they were facing a crisis after the war, there were still some who craved power and would eliminate what stood between them and it.

The Echidna leaned against his staff like a walking stick and waved his hand with closed eyes, "That will not be necessary. I have been to many worlds with things of greater goods than this dump." He lowered his bandaged arm, "And think not whether or not your life hangs in the balance. It is not worth my time extinguishing."

"Then—then—then..." sweat beaded down the man's neck, "what are your motives for this intrusion of my apartment?"

Enerjak turned to the back, "That is not for me to say. Why do you not ask him? I'm simply here to do what I'm paid for in this wasteland."

Dark purple smoke leaked into the room. It stayed close to the ceiling and swirled over everyone in an intimidating manner that even the President could not ignore. Just listening to the thunder in its movements almost had him on the ground in fright.

He asked, "What in the world—?"

It thundered, "Speak only when spoken to, little man, and kneel before me. I'm your master, and those fools out there will also soon learn to submit to me just you ought at this very moment."

"I refuse to go along with this, and I will never kneel to the likes of you."

Another rumble roared through the room, shaking the ground as the man held onto a wooden table. Geoffrey and Fiona held onto their hats as the wind rushed around them. Both wanted to escape their boss's horrifying wrath, but the door was too far away. And to Chaos control would catch Enerjak's attention as well as that of their boss's, something clearly unadvisable.

"Enerjak," the purple cloud said, "Show the fool what happens to those who dare to resist me."

Smiling behind his metallic mask, the Echidna held out his hand that was filled with a strange green energy. It was chaos energy. Slowly, but steadily, he reached for the President's forehead and touched it.

Energy surged through his body as a glazed look entered his eyes.

Enerjak smirked and said, "Our plan is about to unfold and show its true potential." He took a step back to fully examine the President who stood without any liveliness in his eyes. Truly, he was their masterpiece, "With the Human and Mobian's President under our control, mastered by my thoughts, he will prove to be our tool to bring down every last world survivor to his knees."

Laughter filled the room while Geoffrey looked down at his pocket. Fishing through it, the blue sphere settled in his hand. Vengeance was his and Fiona's.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Sonic moved ahead of the others, next to Shadow, who carried Amy in his arms. Sally was on his back as they raced to wherever Shadow believed they were needed. All he mentioned was that he knew where Knuckles was.

There was no way he could have known where the Echidna ran off to, right?

Sonic glanced at his half-brother's face and saw how determined he looked. There was no mistaking how sure he seemed. Then again, that was how he normally was. They raced across the streets, over buildings, until they landed on an apartment building that towered over every other structure in the city.

Sonic looked around on the roof and commented, "As much as I _love_ the view, that still does not explain what is going on here."

Sally climbed down from him as Shadow looked at the door on the roof. Shadow's hand touched the door handle as he listened to his brother's comments. Amy, who was already back on her feet, also watched Shadow, having a good idea what he meant when he said that he knew where Knuckles was.

The Echidna claimed that he sensed something that caught his attention. And since Enerjak was a walking source of energy, it only made sense that Knuckles would find him in a heartbeat.

Shadow muttered after opening the door, "Just be ready."

" _Be ready_ for what?" Sonic waved his arms as he followed him down the stairs.

The girls were in the back, behind him, as they followed Shadow's footsteps. Amy looked around the place as they progressed down the stairs, and kept her track of her footing. There was barely any light, and someone like her could easily slip, fall, and break her neck.

Shadow did not move his red eyes from whatever lied ahead of him, and he said, "Use your inside voice."

The blue hedgehog rolled his green eyes and said, "Uh, huh...that still does not answer my question."

In an even lower voice, Shadow spoke, "Enerjak."

The little brother raised an eyebrow, "Inner fact? What kind of dumb statement is that? It doesn't even make sense." Shadow was speaking too low for him to hear it, so Sonic only got a little bit of what Shadow said.

His statement made Shadow freeze with a twitching eye, and the older brother looked annoyed.

Sonic, who stood in front of the girls asked, still not getting it, "What?"

Again Shadow said quietly, "I said 'Enerjak,' not 'inner fact'."

"Enerjak? Then why didn't you just say so?" Sonic then stopped a couple seconds and then said in a louder voice, "Enerjak! You mean that he's here...?"

Shadow covered his mouth after looking panicked, "Not so loud."

The Ultimate Life Form walked away as Sonic followed with his hands behind his back. Even though everything was quiet, there was an unshakable eeriness about the place. Not a soul aside them the four resided there, and they were still working their way down the long staircase.

Upon reaching the end, Shadow quickly moved against the wall beside the doorway and motioned the others to do the same.

Sonic, however, was not one for being discreet if he could avoid it. He zoomed in between his friends and entered the door with no restraint on his speed. Shadow did a face plant into his hand while the girls blinked at what just happened.

Sally said, "What is he doing?"

They peeked around the doorway, and she asked, "Isn't he worried about Enerjak?"

Shadow said, "Does it look like it?" He stepped out into the open, "Come on, we have to find him before Enerjak does. He doesn't have Knuckles' sword and, therefore, would have no chance of doing anything about that Echidna."

Sally still looked Sonic's way, and quietly said, "Right," while followed Shadow and Amy down the halls.

They looked left and right down the other turns that the hallway might have. Sonic could not have gone that far. Then again, Sonic did possess enough speed to move from one side of town to another within a minute when it should have been half an hour walking there. Sally looked a bit discouraged for a minute.

Sonic could have been anywhere.

Where Sonic was, he was still running, looking at every door and opening he passed. What he sought had to be close. He could feel it. Shadow said Enerjak was close, since he told him to be ready for him. And because Knuckles had a head start after he sense something, he also must have been close. But even so, Sonic was the one with all the speed.

Smirking to himself, he felt positive that he could still beat Knuckles to the enemy. Using more speed, he zipped down the hallway. He finally stopped when he heard some talking and stepped a bit closer to a closed door.

He pressed his ear against it to carefully listen. With his supernatural hearing, he picked up the conversation.

A male's deep voice said, "Now I trust that everything is set?"

Another male voice that sounded familiar answered, "Of course it is. The president will do my bidding, and nothing will stand in our way when the Humans and Mobians are forced to acknowledge you as their superior."

"Before we get too carried away," Sonic heard the sound of some tossed coins in a bag being thrown, "here is half of what I promised. You have greatly impressed me old friend."

"It was a pleasure doing this, Mephiles. I will not disappoint you."

"See that you don't. Make sure those two lackeys of mine cooperate and not mess this up."

Sonic then thought _sounds like someone is doing something to the president. Sally the others told me before that he is like the king of this place. It's time to do a break in._

Sonic then knocked down the door and jumped inside, saying, "Ah hah, now to..." he froze, staring at what he saw.

Sure he made a dramatic entrance, but the commotion he heard came from the room next to that one. Two kids looked at him, while Sonic's ears twitched in annoyance. He sucked in some breath, closing his eyes as he carefully backed up and closed the door.

It made no sense why he heard the conversation in that room, but heard noise in the one next door, but he did not think much about it.

When he had let go of the door handle, he looked annoyed and said, "Alright that was dirty trick."

He ran over to the room where the ruckus came from and jumped into it. In there, he saw Knuckles jumping to avoid being hit by Enerjak's energy blasts, sometimes, using the magic sword to block the attacks.

Sonic then remembered what Knuckles said about the sword, _"The only problem is if you do have enough power to control the sword, it will take something from you instead, little by little, until you have nothing left in you to so much as move."_

Knuckles was using it again. He was sacrificing whatever energy he had to fight Enerjak. He could kill himself. Sonic was not about to let that happen. He immediately jumped into action and did a leap frog on the high powered villain.

It made Enerjak lose his focus for a moment, and Knuckles was about to strike his sword but had to stop. He sweat-dropped, watching all happen between Sonic and the enemy. There was so much commotion that it was too risky to get both at the same time.

Sonic noticed that Knuckles was making the sword glow and yelled after he was thrown down, "Don't even think about it, Knux!" Enerjak stepped on him because he was not paying attention, "Don't you remember what you said happens whenever you power that thing?"

"Heh," Knuckles muttered, examining Enerjak standing on his friend, "that's just the risk I'm willing to take. Holding back is the last I should be doing." Looking at the two, he said in louder voice, "After all that was taken from me," his grip on the sword's hilt tightened, "I can't afford," he swung the white glowing blade down, "being cautious again!"

The move had sent a wave towards the enemy Echidna, who smirked as he jumped out of the way.

Sonic's eyes grew wide as he yelled, "Yah!" lying in the blast's path.

To his and Enerjak's surprise, it moved to the side and followed Enerjak. It gave no time for reaction, and it had sent him flying. Sonic got over his surprise and jumped towards him. He kicked Enerjak and rammed his head into his stomach.

Knuckles did not stop there and followed them as they fell out the window.

He thought as he followed, carrying the sword over his shoulder, _something is not right. Enerjak should harder to fight than this._

Where Shadow and the girls were, they had to stop running to look around for a bit.

Shadow thought he sensed something with a lot of chaos energy nearby, and Amy said, "Where could have Sonic gone off to in such a short amount of time?"

Behind them as she asked that, Sonic and Enerjak would have been seen through the window, falling down the building as Knuckles glided after them with his sword. Shadow and girls did not notice it at the time while they thought about where they should look.

Amy tugged his arm and said, "Maybe we should keep looking somewhere else. Sonic is so fast and might have already run into Enerjak by now."

"That is true," her boyfriend said, "But I could also sense both Knuckles _and_ Enerjak nearby."

Sally pointed out the window and said, "Guys, down there. It looks like he did find him, and they are in some sort of fight."

Shadow bolted there, "What?"

Upon seeing the fighting down below, he pushed the window open and crouched on the sill.

It took no time for him to leap down and join the struggle. He threw a chaos spear on the way down, which Enerjak quickly flipped over, leaving Sonic in the way of the blast. The blue hedgehog moved and stood on one foot, staring at the cement that Shadow's spear fried.

As the smoke rose from it, he blinked at the blackened spot while Knuckles ran past and jumped in the air, yelling with his sword out and ready. Shadow landed right when Enerjak moved once again and had to teleport to avoid being sliced. Looking at Knuckles, who stood up after prying the blade that was sandwiched in a crack he made in the ground, Shadow was standing a lamppost.

Looking annoyed, he said to the Echidna, "Oh yeah, sure, you get to use the sword. Why may I ask did you say that you were going to give me the sword when you wouldn't let me touch it?"

"I did?" the Echidna blinked. He then stood up and looked at him, while the sword rested on his shoulder, "Oh yeah, about that. I said that was going to give but did not specify who got to use it. I never said 'oh yeah sure, go on ahead and use it.'"

It bothered Shadow what the Echidna had to say, but it still made no sense why Knuckles was using the sword so freely. He was the one who mentioned that it could drain energy natural and unnatural, weakening the sword's user until it can potentially kill him. It was as though the Echidna did not care about himself or hid something important.

That, however, had to be dealt with later. Enerjak was the current problem. The girls stared down at everything from where they stood in the apartment building, and Amy slammed her hands on the sill.

Pink hair dangled around her face as she said, "We have to do something, Sally. I don't want to sit here and watch our guys get hurt by that Echidna."

"Don't worry. We will think of something. They are not alone on this, Amy."

Amy blinked, looking at her redhead friend, about to say something right when a sound caught her attention. Shadow was hit while trying to attack Enerjak and fell to the ground, holding his side as he stood up, glaring at Enerjak as a piece of untidy black hair blocked his right eye.

His left hand began to glow as he said, "Don't think you're getting off so easy with that cheap attack. I'll show you what happens when you mess with the wrong werewolf."

Enerjak, however, gave Shadow no time to charge another attack and swiftly moved towards him like a shadow. He punched Shadow in the gut and punched him into the ground.

It made Sally hold her mouth in horror, watching Shadow trying to get out of the pit, but while she looked at the fight that Sonic and Knuckles had put up, trying to keep Enerjak away from their friend, tears streamed from Amy's cheeks.

Her fist tightened and shook as she watched her boyfriend, her life, her joy, her everything, be hit and thrown around by the villain. The shadow of her pink bangs covered her eyes that were filled with an unreadable expression as she tilted her head down and looked at her hands.

"This fight has to come to end," she softly whispered, gaining Sally's attention.

Sally watched as Amy's body glowed white, and soft, fluffy wings formed on her back. As the soft light diminished, faded white feathers fluttered and melted on the floor and in mid-air.

Amy's pink hair lengthened until they reached her hips, and a wind that emitted from her body tugged on it as leaves from outside fluttered around her. She looked fierce but gentle at the same time. The whole scene looked amazing, but one could easily see what she intended to do as she tightly held onto an ornamental mallet.

The hammer had white wings on the sides while silver and emerald vines wrapped around the handle and continued around it. Its surface had outlines and silhouettes of purple and black roses.

Her new wings made from her white magic extended in their full length, and before Sally had time to say anything, Amy was already down below. Sally ran to the window sill to watch her friend make a dive into the fight. The wings gave her ability to glide with ease like Knuckles, and she raised her mallet.

Enerjak was caught off guard from her sudden appearance since he was not expecting anything like that from any of the girls. Her mallet whacked him to the side right when Sonic was able to kick him.

Shadow then sent the villain a chaos spear, which fried his side. Knuckles saw a good opportunity and decided to open a portal to banish Enerjak again. As the strong pull from the opening his weapon created a wind, pulling Enerjak in, Knuckles narrowed his purple eyes.

Sure Enerjak was too busy, paying attention to his wound inflicted by Shadow, but Knuckles thought that someone like him would have needed another distraction. It was as if he was not even trying.

He was sucked into the pull and disappeared into the portal, which closed.

Sonic called out, "Not bad, Knux. Now that Ugly is out of the way, we could do some other stuff."

Amy was beside Shadow in the back, helping him up while Knuckles glanced at his sword and then stared at where Enerjak was. The whole thing was just confusing. Enerjak could not have been gone so easily.

He acted as if he wanted to be beaten.

The Echidna stiffened and looked up again, saying, "It's not over."

Shadow looked up while leaned against Amy, who was under his arm, trying to steady him, and he said, "What are you talking about? That was it. We just beat him."

Amy asked, "He was sucked into the Zone of Silence, wasn't he?" giving a shocked and disbelieving face.

Knuckles lowered his sword and glanced at the two with a serious and non-so-thrilled look, saying, "What we saw was him, but..." the sword's tip touched the uprooted cement, "I'm starting to have my doubts."

Sally asked, "Doubts? Why's that?"

"I've fought him before, but never has he been this easy. I barely had to fight for my life, on top of which, we were constantly getting into each other's crossfire. He would have used that against us a whole lot more and would have done more to make everything more difficult."

Sonic shrugged, "I dunno, maybe he is just losing his touch. It has been how long technically since _he_ has fought you and Shadow? After so many years, he has got to be soft enough to take down in no time flat."

The Hedgehog nodded, believing his theory to be perfect. Sally, however, felt that Knuckles was on to something. Surely, if the dreaded Enerjak had enough power to worry Shadow into grabbing a magic sword, he was not someone to be messed with for no reason.

"Except that he would have been able to build his power between then and now to become much more powerful," Sonic stopped walking away, and turned to stare at her when she said that.

Shadow was still gritting his teeth while covered in filth and beside Amy, who became extremely worried. Sally's point increased the doubt that there was dread hidden in their victory. Enerjak could not have been defeated.

Sonic shook his head, saying, "But—but—but...I mean...we just...I...uh…" he smacked his forehead, pointing at where Enerjak was sucked, "he was right there. I know he was. I got whacked around by him and everything." He crossed his arms, looking to the side with a pout, "And right after he tricked me too."

Sally asked him, not understanding what he was getting at, "Tricked you, when was that?"

"Well, you see I heard someone talking that sounded like him in this room, so I broke into it, but there were just some kids there. The actual commotion was over in the next room. That Enerjak was trying to make me look stupid. I'll bet that he is some kind of ventriloquist."

Shadow smirked and said, "Well, considering how you like to jump at things without thought, it shouldn't be too hard to make you look stupid."

"At least when I come up with an idea, it works," Sonic pointed out to his brother.

Growling, Shadow said, "How many times do I have to tell you that is just dumb luck on your side?"

"Heh, you are just jealous."

"Hardly," he muttered, glaring at him.

Knuckles, however, looked confused and spoke up, "Wait a minute, are you trying to say that you heard Enerjak talking in one room, but he was not in it?"

Sonic said, "Uh, yeah, that is what I was saying..."

"We have to go back in there," Knuckles started walking back to the apartment.

Sonic raised an eyebrow, "Say what?"

Sally asked, "What could be back there?"

Knuckles looked back as he stood in the entrance, explaining, "If there were somethings I have noticed the entire time we fought, it was that Enerjak was surprisingly lousier at fighting than he was the last time we met, and his chaos energy was barely there. What Sonic said just made sense of everything."

Amy tilted her head and asked, "How so?"

"I may not have good people skills or know how anything works anymore," he looked inside the building, "but I still remember a thing or two about Enerjak," he added on the way inside, "and he is _no_ ventriloquist."

The others looked at each other as they watched him walk through the doors. Shadow stood up straight, feeling his fast healing powers kick into action, and he grabbed Amy's hand. Still transformed with long pink hair, Amy looked down when she felt that. She stuck beside him as they followed.

Sonic and Sally did the same without realising it, feeling as though a storm was racing towards them at a high velocity.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Knuckles ran the way there. Already he felt pumped up enough to do some serious damage. Enerjak was being nothing but a huge pain. He was going to be stopped. Knuckles remembered about wanting to find Enerjak's friend, but he also remembered what Sonic said.

He said that Enerjak was speaking with someone else. It was possible that the 'someone' was the person he was looking for since he had left the island.

Knuckles marched up the stairs with much determination as he climbed to the top. His footsteps came to a halt when he reached the room where he fought Enerjak.

Looking at Sonic, he asked, "Which room had the kids in it?"

The blue Hedgehog pointed with an open jaw, not understanding, "It was over there."

"Alright," he looked at the door.

Shadow stopped moving and asked, "So in a room with two kids, there was nothing else like adults, Sonic?"

The Hedgehog shook his head and said, "Nope. I mean, sure there were things like furniture and a TV, but it didn't look like anyone else lived there."

Amy spoke up, "Maybe they were in a bedroom. I don't see anyone leaving little kids that young by themselves like that. It doesn't make sense."

Shadow's red eyes turned wide, and he said, "I have feeling that those were not children Sonic saw. It was just another trick set up by our _friend_ Enerjak. He made Sonic believe that he saw children in that room when it was really just an illusion."

"It was an illusion?" Amy asked, "But what was it for? He must have been hiding something."

Knuckles shook his head with an angered look and said, "That—that rotten, no good—jerk...he had us fooled from the start. It wasn't him that we fought at all. He _was_ in that room where Sonic saw those kids, and just to throw us off, even more, he created an illusion of himself for us to fight, thinking it was him."

Sonic's ears perked up when he heard that, and running to the room's door, he said, "Then what are we waiting for? Time to start picking up the pace, Knux."

The Echidna rolled his eyes and shook his head, thinking _Hedgehogs..._

They got to the door after Sonic broke it down again. Apparently, it was patched up after he destroyed it the first time.

He quickly looked back and forth as though expecting a fight as he hopped into the room. It made him look like an energetic little kid in a funny but cute way. Sally stepped in after Amy as she observed the room.

It was abandoned with no trace of anyone, not even the children that Sonic mentioned were there. The friends cautiously entered, careful to not stray too far away from each other. Knuckles kept a ready hand on his sword as he examined the empty space. Sonic was not kidding when he said that no one was there.

Amy glanced around and said, "Maybe there was some kind of mistake."

Shadow shook his head, "I highly doubt that. Sonic heard the talking in _this_ room."

Sally then stiffened thinking _if that is the case, while Enerjak and whoever was with him are in here, they will not come out so long as they know we are looking for them. This idea might not work unless we either find a way to get rid of the illusion that is hiding them or if we do something to draw them out._

Knuckles stopped for a moment and narrowed his purple eyes at an empty corner. Slowly drawing out his magic sword, he looked at the spot again. Amy noticed it when she walked by him and stopped, wondering what he was doing.

She said, "What is it, Knuckles?"

Right after she asked that he quickly slammed the sword down and called out, "Found him!"

Shadow instantly heard that and pulled Amy out of there right when a fireball came from nothing and landed there. Her green eyes widened at the burnt spot while Shadow's protective black arm surrounded her.

He watched the origin of the fireball attack while Knuckles lifted his sword again. Sally looked at Sonic who was turning his head back and forth, getting ready to attack. Now that Knuckles alerted the real Enerjak who was hiding in the room invisible, they had to be extra careful.

"Sonic, look out," Sally called out upon seeing an orange glow behind Sonic, but he moved before she finished speaking.

He ran around the room, while the Squirrel stood there, blinking.

She thought _what is he doing? I could be wrong, but it looks like he is running around the whole room nonstop._

He zoomed past and in between his friends, but Shadow watched as he quickly moved.

Amy clung onto her boyfriend when Sonic zipped past her a second time and said, "He is moving really fast."

"I see what he is doing," Shadow muttered.

Amy looked at him, "You do?"

He nodded with crossed arms, "Nothing moves quicker than werewolves, but the speed that runs through our family's blood is unmatched."

"Okay..." Amy said, tilting her head while Knuckles listened with his sword over his shoulder, "but that still doesn't explain what he is up to."

"If he moves fast enough, Enerjak will not have enough time or room to dodge him no matter what he does."

Knuckles looked to the side and thought _that would be a great plan, but there is only one problem. Sonic is moving in too much of a pattern. Even I could see where to hit him. Not to mention that he is constantly missing certain places in the room where Enerjak could easily hide. I had better do something before Hedgehog gets hit._

Another fireball came from an unsuspected corner and nearly got Sonic's foot, but he quickly dodged it and jumped to a wall. Before anyone could bat an eyelid, he leapt away from it, and using the momentum he created, he increased his speed.

Something invisible was kicked by him.

Knuckles took advantage of the situation and ran over there with his glowing sword. He swung it at the spot, and a wave came from his blade, tearing up a couple boards. When it struck the spot, a few things began to change.

In the spot where Knuckles' sword had struck, an Echidna stood there covered in bruises. It was Enerjak. He glanced at the uprooted boards and then at Knuckles with a steady angered gaze. Knuckles returned the look with slightly more attitude.

The villainous Echidna smirked and said, "You really do have me in a spot, I must congratulate you for your cunningness, or is there something a bit more to it than that?"

Sonic rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, yeah, sure thing, Ener _jerk_ , we are not listening to anything you say."

Enerjak looked at him and said, annoyed at how Sonic mocked his name, "Whoever said that I was talking to you, rodent?"

"Eh," he shrugged, "like I care. It's not like anything good is going to come out of you. I trust you as much as that Skunk..." he then stopped, tapping his chin until he lifted a finger, "Actually, you are more trustworthy. Forget about that. Point is, I don't trust you."

"Humph, as if I truly care what you think. It will not change the fact that before this day is over, people will have a different view on everything. While you are having this petty war with me, people will side with me, and then," he pointed at Sally, "people like her will be banished."

Sally's ocean blue eyes grew wide, and Sonic looked at him with his ears sticking up like a cat, "Say what? Alright, that does it. No one does anything to Sally and gets away with it. I will just make it so then you won't be able to do anything like that."

The Echidna's smirk increased as though he had trouble containing his laughter. Looking at the five in the room, he amusingly glanced at them with his inhuman, glowing, red eyes.

"Is that so, well then," his body glowed, "give your best shot."

"You had better believe I will," Sonic quickly ran to him and did circles around him.

Enerjak teleported out of there and reappeared in midair behind him. His eyes, which were closed for only a second, opened, showing a brighter and more deadly looking red. Electricity was around them as he quickly moved both hands together and aimed them.

A beam of white light surrounded by blue was fired down, and just as Sonic moved, he fell to the ground. Looking at what tripped him, he saw that his feet were encased in ice.

Sally stood up more when she saw that and began to run. Knuckles glanced at her with his sword's blade on the ground and became panicked.

He called out, "Hey, wait. I wouldn't do that if I were you."

She stopped and looked back saying, "But I have to do something."

"Getting attacked by Enerjak isn't going to do you a lot of good. Shadow could get him out of there while I deal with this guy."

She noticed the glow produced by his sharp weapon, "Huh? Why are you using that? You will drain yourself and could get killed. There is probably a better way to get at him."

He turned to her, "This is Enerjak." After saying that, he turned away, firmly holding onto the sword, and quietly said, "There is no other way." His purple eyes seemed surprisingly deep in thought with some sort of depression as he softly, but sadly added, "Our only hope is to give everything that we've got."

"You don't have to do this. Sonic may be unable to move, but I'm pretty sure that ice can't hold him there forever, and then there are Shadow and Amy."

"Heh," the Echidna smirked, "I wouldn't worry too much." He lifted the sword, "It will take more than this sword's energy sucking power to take me down."

After he made a huge jump, the magic sword was slammed down again, and while that blast was sent, he threw a side table in the air. Once that piece of furniture was airborne, he punched it forward, chasing the path of his sword's trail of destruction.

Sally had to shield herself from the flying pieces while Shadow teleported beside his brother to grab him. Enerjak's hands, charged with plenty of chaos energy, started to glow and prepare to launch something more potent than a chaos spear.

Shadow stopped when he was about to pull his brother and looked up with all of his black fur standing up as he stared at Enerjak. He did not like what he just sensed.

Just as the light from the enemy's hands became larger, the large blast from Knuckles struck him. Amy stood up more upon seeing that and held her mouth in anxiousness.

She whispered, "Did Knuckles get him with that?"

There was a trench from the powerful move, and as the dust settled, it showed Enerjak unscathed from the hit as well as a crater on the wall behind him. It did nothing to him.

Glowing again, except this time it covered his body, he said in a deep powerful voice, "Did you weaklings think that you stood a chance against me, a great—"

The dresser that Knuckles threw crashed into him and knocked him over, cutting off his dramatic speech about how pathetic they were in his eyes.

He was sitting in the furniture's wreckage and lifted his head to gaze at whom to blame and saw Knuckles walking closer with his sword that had energy flowing up and down its reflective metal.

Knuckles angled its tip at him and said, "Now that I have you right where I want you, I want to know where your friend is."

After looking stunned and frightened, Enerjak's eyebrows lowered with a cocky smirk, and calmness washed over him.

He said, "I see that you are a worse fool than the rest of your friends. I have no friends worth speaking of, and even if I did, there is clearly no one here. Now, what will you do, beat it out of me? Killing me will do nothing but make things harder for you to reach your goal. I'm, therefore, invaluable to you, and cannot be so easily destroyed."

Knuckles snorted and said, "Who said anything about getting rid of you? All you have to do is stay right there."

Enerjak went still, not understanding what the Echidna meant, but he then thought _this sensation running through my body..._ His eyes widened _it is chaos energy flowing through my brain. I should have known that he'd pull a stunt like this._

Using more strength, he fired a blast at Knuckles, who dodged it with a fast jump to the right side.

Enerjak stood up, glaring at him with a no longer amused face, and said, "You, young Echidna, are through." He crossed his arms as a wind flowed around him, and upon swinging his arms down, the wind's range increased, whipping through everything, "I will not let that happen again."

The crazy look in his shrunken red pupils gave the girls a chill, and they back away two steps. Sally's hand bumped a button, which accidentally turned on the TV. There was a music video playing music with a fighting theme which suited the activity in the room.

Sonic's feet quickly shook to break off the ice, and he stood attentively, keeping an eye on the villain. Shadow was still where he was earlier, tensing his curled fingers where chaos energy swirled and glowed with a fiery radiance.

"I'm not sure what Knuckles is after from Enerjak, but there is no chance I'm letting him do all the work," he said as he lifted his hand in a ready position, looking at his target.

Sonic crouched readily, and, within a second, he zipped to Enerjak, avoiding the wind. A wicked laugh came from Enerjak, and he spread out each of his hands, one at a time. He crossed his arms again and raised them, revealing a large circle of light in his chest.

"You are finished," he shouted, " _Watch now as your pitiful lives are put to an unbearable end_."

Sonic had to stop to shield his eyes from the wind that was becoming harder to push through, and his eyes squinted from the bright light.

Where Sally and Amy were, shielding their eyes, the television's sound changed, and a breaking news story boomed on the speakers, "This is a breaking news story, brought to you by Station Square's news reporter, Miss Scarlet Garcia. It appears that after the warm welcoming parade this afternoon at three, our ever popular President has an important announcement to make."

The picture changed to view the President at a stand in front of hundreds of people where many camera flashes appeared. Mr President stood with a serious face, giving everyone a solemn stare as he began his speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mobians and Humans alike, it has been three long good years since I have accepted the position as President of a nation, that once destroyed by the mad doctor, is now thriving with three growing cities. I appreciate the wonderful thanks and encouragement you have showered me each approaching year, and believe me they were wonderful years. But it seems that I need to make a few adjustments to make everything safer for the residents here in Station Square."

Gasps and muffled questions rose from the gathered crowd as he tapped his fingers on the sides of the stand, "There will be more taxes needed for better city maintenance, and we will need to form an army, meaning people will have to be drafted."

More cries rained down upon the young President, who continued indifferently, "We are trying to regrow, but as the world does so our population increases. Order must be maintained."

He descended the stand while camera flashes still appeared on the screen.

While the news finished its announcement, Enerjak was still creating his attacking, saying again to Knuckles, "You are through!"

Knuckles had no remark about that one. If nothing was done, that overcharged chaos arrow was going to blow the room, including everyone in it.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Enerjak smiled as he quietly and evilly chuckled. Wiping out those weak fools was going to be easy. The only disappointment he felt was not being able to do all the things he dreamed of doing to them. He had to admit though, they had put up more of a fight than any other being he had crushed, but it must end now.

Knuckles muttered, "So that's the way it is, huh?"

He deeply inhaled and determinedly looked at him, thinking _he is not the only way I could locate that friend of his. Sure it won't be as easy to locate him, but it is obvious that we can't get anything from Enerjak. I only got a few things from reading his mind with chaos energy, and even though they were not enough, I still feel confident that we could function just fine without him._

Looking at the powerful Echidna, Knuckles made a firm stance and swung his sword again, only this time nothing flew from it. Instead a portal opened behind Enerjak and began to pull him in as well as everything else.

Knuckles called out, "Everyone hold onto something until the portal closes."

Enerjak's eyes grew wide upon realising what was happening, and he looked over his shoulder. He stared in horror at the opened portal that dragged his body into its hole.

"No...I'm not done yet. I must put everyone in their place," he yelled.

With his foot inches from the edge, he glanced at Knuckles as half of his body was pulled into the portal.

A smirk then began to form as he said, "Don't think you have won against me. I have escaped before, and I could do it again. Your world will forever be a burden for you and your friends," he fell into the portal with the drowning words, "I promise you," while Knuckles stared at him with a hardened expression.

The portal closed, and everyone stood still. Each of them looked at each other, not feeling comfortable with Enerjak's statement. Amy folded her hands together as her form reverted to normal.

She thought _'Your world will forever be a burden?' What does it all mean?_ At the thought of it, she shuddered with closed eyes, _even though we have been saying that we would never have to deal with him again once he is in the zone of silence, I feel as though he could still do things to us here._ Her hands lowered as she continued to glance at the floor _perhaps I'm just paranoid because he was threatening. I could be wrong, but..._

Her green eyes turned to Knuckles who still looked at where Enerjak was. She thought _...but it seems that he and Knuckles somehow knew each other. On top of which, Knuckles didn't banish him to the zone of silence when he knocked him down the first time because he wanted to know something. Aside from sharing the same species, what connects the two together?_

The magic sword was lifted again over Knuckles' shoulder like an ax, and he closed his purple eyes.

"Anyone here have an idea what Enerjak's true motives were?" he asked, slowly reopening his purple eyes. "You heard him. He said our world was going to be a burden. For someone who was making threats when he is about to be defeated, that is pretty odd, even for him."

Sonic waved a hand as he was lying on the floor, relaxed, and said, "Eh, he was probably saying random stuff to get us riled up before he was gone. Wizards, monsters, and all of those power hungry people love doing that kind of stuff. Everyone knows that the world is not a happy place," he rubbed his ear, looking bored, "especially for a half breed such as myself. So like I said, he is just trying to get into our heads."

Sally looked at him saying, "That is good logic, but it still doesn't add up. When he said that, it seemed too threatening to be just a fact that he is rubbing into our faces. He was promising to make it a fact, meaning that he was going to somehow extract his revenge."

Amy asked, "But how can he when he is in the zone of silence?"

"Well, he did say that he escaped before and could do it again," Sally looked at Shadow and Knuckles, "Are you guys positive that the zone of silence is the only way to get rid of him?"

"Well it isn't as though anything could put the guy out of his misery," Shadow muttered. He became even quieter, "I tried it too many times."

Amy looked at him and said, "If that is the case then how is it that he keeps coming back?"

His red eyes moved to her while he seemed a bit disturbed at the very thought of it, "He is no ordinary Echidna, but unlike Knuckles, he is not a vampire."

"He isn't?" she asked.

"That is correct. He was once an ordinary Mobian until one day he woke a power that lied dormant within his family for centuries. Because the power resided within it for so long, it was the strongest in him, the lone survivor of his family."

"The poor guy..." Amy softly muttered as he looked at her.

"I wouldn't say that since he was the one responsible for his family's death. No one remains in his world with enough power to fight him. He is the most powerful being in his world. If he were cut off from his power, he'd be no more powerful than a mere Mobian."

She looked surprised, "Th—that can't be right. I don't see how anyone could wipe out his own family. No one could be that bad."

"You'd be surprised," he softly looked at her, thinking _she is far too innocent and has not seen as much as I have. I have seen men turn on each other, brothers fight brothers, and fathers who have even sold their own daughters for a few gold coins._

Sonic stood up and stretching, yawning as he said, "Well now that Enerjak is gone, let's go home, eat, and do whatever we want to..."

"Wait a minute, Sonic," Sally called out, looking at him as he stopped by the door.

He turned his head, "What?"

"As much as I would like to think that we are done, we still have the other problem."

The Hedgehog tilted his head, "What other problem?"

Shadow muttered in irritation, "Did he just forget that we were also after Fiona and Geoffrey?"

Amy smiled and said, "That's understandable. It was a long day for all of us."

Sonic's ear shot up, and he said, "Oh yeah, the Skunk and the Fox. We were supposed to go after them." He shook his head, smirking, "Boy, Shadow, you shouldn't be so forgetful."

The Ultimate Life Form actually hissed at him gritting his teeth with his fur sticking up as Sonic jumped down saying, "Eh, I'm just messing with ya. Meet you down there."

Sally ran to the window when she saw him leap down it and looked around thinking that was a crazy thing to do.

Shadow said to her as he and Amy exited the room, "Don't get too worked up over him."

"But he just," she blinked in disbelief, "jumped out a window...that was...three stories high."

Knuckles looked at Shadow and said while standing in the hall, "I take it that this is a normal thing for him to do, Shadow?"

The black Hedgehog nodded, "Yes, he is quite fond of testing to see how much his body could handle jumping from heights for no reason other than he could do it."

Sally asked, "But isn't he worried about one day jumping down a cliff that is too high?"

Shadow rolled his red eyes, "Highly unlikely. One time he accidently fell down the highest mountain on Earth, but his speed and werewolf powers, along with his weirdness, allowed him to continue. You have nothing to worry about with him."

"What do you mean by weirdness?" she asked remembering what Sonic mentioned about people not liking half-breeds.

To her surprise, he said in irritation, "His dumb luck. You should see half of the other things he does and gets away with without much trouble. Although, I would have to admit he is more optimistic than normal." He looked at Sally with a small smirk, "You wouldn't have had anything to do with that, would you?"

She pointed at herself, "Who, me? I mean, I know that we like each other, but I don't think that I could have changed him that much."

"He is smiling more often and is even more laid back than usual. I'd say that you have changed him plenty."

She smiled as well as she walked beside her friends and fiddled with her fingers, "That might be so, but deep down I think he was already that way. My dad told me that when you make the right friends they don't change you. They only highlight your good qualities and decrease the bad ones. There was a good person in Sonic the whole time, I'm sure of it. He just needed to be allowed to be the person he really was."

He nodded, watching her walk ahead.

Amy looked at him when they were behind her and said, "Penny for your thoughts."

Turning to her slightly, he said, "Sally is a surprising person. Out of all of us, she has the ability to react the right way. Most people who do not grow up around monsters or magic usually would not take any of this very well."

"That's true," she said, looking down, "if I was not the way I was, I would have found it difficult to absorb everything. But," her arms hugged him, "it still would not have taken long for me to believe you."

He looked down at her as she held him so tightly, finding her statement believable, "Why are you so trusting?"

She looked up and smiled, "Because you are not the lying type, and I know that you would never do anything to hurt me."

Shadow's hand rested on her head that only reached his chest fur, and he gently pulled her close. He did not say anything while Amy stood there, a bit surprised by how quickly he did it. She quickly calmed down and smiled.

"We should probably catch up with the others, huh?" she said, looking up at him.

He looked annoyed and pulled her back, "We could catch in a bit. I could sense both Sonic and Knuckles, and Enerjak was already taken care of with the portal. Even though Fiona and Geoffrey are still out there, their powers are nothing compared to his."

"That's true," she said with her head against him as his hands held her so closely.

The pink girl felt truly safe in his arms, and they stayed that way for one more minute. Knuckles walked past them and went outside where he saw Sonic talking to Sally, trying to tickle her.

He looked around, but all he saw were more people spending time with their loved ones. It made him want to hit something but not out of hate. His purple eyes flickered with hurt and anger, but he kept moving. He moved past Sonic and Sally in hurry, looking around the crowds.

He said, "We had better keep an eye out for that friend of Enerjak's. He is around here somewhere."

Sonic said, "Oh you mean that other guy I heard talking with Enerjak?"

Knuckles nodded, "Yeah, him. If you come across him don't let his calmness fool you. His mind is just as twisted and warped as Enerjak, maybe even worse."

"How so?" the Hedgehog asked.

"He likes to play with people's emotions, and if he targets you, it will not just be you who suffers. Families and friends that you treasure will either turn on you or be killed because of his tricks."

"I can see why the two hang out with each other so much."

"And that's not it. He also sometimes torments people because he wants their souls to be filled with enough agony to feed him with their spiritual power. Whenever we feel angry or sad, quite often the spiritual energy will heighten."

Sally looked at him and asked, "But aren't joy and excitement just as strong of an emotion?"

Knuckles thought about it for a moment, "They can be...but those feeling of caring about others also increase when we see a friend or family member get hurt in unimaginable ways."

She stayed silent for a bit, "You seem to be speaking based on some kind of experience. Did this friend of Enerjak do something to you or someone you know?"

Her words had a slight effect on his movements, which slowed down, "Yeah...actually, he did." He seemed lonely as if he were a ghost reliving a memory, "Whatever you do, show him as little emotion as possible and don't let him catch onto who are your friends. Shadow might think that Enerjak is a problem, but this guy is an even greater threat."

Sonic and Sally looked at each other while Amy and Shadow watched them from behind.

The blue Hedgehog asked, "What is he called?"

Knuckles' purple eyes looked back at him filled with an anger that was not directed to any of them, "Mephelis. You have already seen him. He was that Hedgehog that looked like Shadow and was with Enerjak when we first spotted them."

Shadow spoke up, "If that is so, then we should find him fast. There are many things I don't like, but having someone like walking around with a face like mine takes the cake."

Amy asked, "But where do we start?"

Her boyfriend said, "Well after what happened, we already know that splitting up would be mistake."

"Don't worry, Shadow, we survived, and look at how far we have gotten..."

He quickly pointed out, "And look at how close you and Sally could have been killed if Knuckles did not open that portal when he did," his fists clenched, "especially you. Do you have any idea...I don't know what I'll do if..." The Hedgehog lifted his fist and looked at it.

Amy could tell that he was in pain, "It's alright, Shadow." She slowly hugged him, "You won't ever lose me. Remember," she smiled, trying to cheer him up, "I also can be hard to keep down by anything or anyone."

He grabbed onto her slim hand, "That doesn't change the fact that I worry about you. You could have fast healing powers with a bullet proof skin, and not a minute will pass when I will think about what could possibly go wrong for you."

She thought, looking at him softly, _Shadow...There…has never been anyone who has dedicated himself to my safety more than he. I can't believe how much I truly love him._

Sonic jumped onto a lamppost in an energetic position and said, "So that's one villain down, one more super one to go, along with the Skunk and Fox. That's not so bad."

Sally looked up at him, "But where do we start looking for Mephelis? He sounds like such a frightening person. It makes my fur stand up on end just thinking that he is out there somewhere."

He laughed, "Heh, monsters and deranged people walking around cities and stuff? Welcome to my world."

"I guess that's true," she sighed, not able to argue, but she still returned his smile, which had sent a boost to her morale.

Knuckles did not think too positive about the situation. He was somehow more pessimistic than Shadow was at that moment. Looking around with just his vision, people lined up for a building caught his attention, though he did not understand it.

A sign hung over the entrance, though he could not read it because everyone was in the way. He narrowed his purple eyes at it and would have moved forward, but someone stood in front of him first.

The Human looked down at him and asked, "I take you are here on orders?"

"Orders?" the Echidna asked back, raising an eyebrow.

He motioned to Knuckles' sword over his shoulder, "Didn't you hear? The President ordered some people to be drafted for Station Square's self-defence. Anyone with any sign of physical strength has to contribute to the new army."

"I was...busy," he looked like he wanted to know what was going on, since it was clear that there was nothing like an army until now.

Even though the people could have used more defenses, it seemed odd that nothing was done about it until then. On top of which, the Humans and Mobians were being drafted as if a war was about to break out soon.

He glance back at his friends who were not paying attention to what the man was talking to him about just then. What he could not piece together was what Enerjak, Mephilis, Geoffrey, and Fiona could have been plotting. He thought over again about the last things Enerjak shouted before he was sucked into the Zone of Silence.

There was a plan, an alliance he formed with Mephilis, and then there was Geoffrey and Fiona. If they were working together, his work would not fail apart since they would be able to carry it on after he was defeat. But Mephilis was not the kind to work for somebody. Enerjak was not the brains behind the operation.

Mephilis was the one behind everything. Knuckles was sure of it. When he picked through the crooked Echidna's mind, he did not find much other than a vision of mass destruction and the President.

The President was somehow greatly involved with everything, and mass destruction was going to be somehow created. There was no doubt about it.

Their next stop was the President.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Geoffrey and Fiona were standing by a street light. They looked at each other before Geoffrey patted his pocket, filled with confidence.

He said with an eager, greedy smirk, "So, Fiona, think you could use this the same way, that guy did when he trapped Sonic?"

Her blue eyes rolled while she touched up her makeup, "Naturally. It is only those who have mortal blood in their veins who could pull it off."

"Perfect, then you could use it to put us on top of everyone. Enerjak is first, and then you know who. I already did my part."

She nodded understandingly, knowing that 'you-know-who' was Mephilis, their boss. It always made her fur stick up whenever he spoke in that powerful voice, demanding that they would have to do the trivial things perfectly or face the consequences. It was high time that they took the spotlight for a change.

Looking at the orb after he rolled it into her grasp, she said, "You truly do surprise me, but I suppose that is because I have forgotten what you could do." Her hand squeezed the gem, "I have been trapped in that terrible mirror by that Squirrel's great grandpa for far too long."

"It all sounds like it is going to fall into place. Once there is nothing standing in our way, I will get rid of that 'goody-two-shoes' in my true form."

She started to actually smile as she said with a hand on one hip, "Now that is a form that I can't wait to see again. It's been a while."

"Yeah...and the best part is that I will not have to worry by then if anyone sees what I actually am. All of those weak mortals will be already in our control after the President makes his one last speech as to who everyone has to listen to from now on."

"That is very convenient since Mephilis doesn't realise that we are up to this..." she then stopped smiling and looked at him, "unless he knows that you tried to..."

He asked, "What? Push him? Don't ya worry, Fiona. He has no idea who was behind that. If he gets suspicious I will just blame it on Sonic. After all, we both possess the ability to do something like that before he realises anything different."

She sighed, "Yes, that's right."

They went to carry out their plan, keeping a better eye on the blue sphere. Over in the back, in the alley, Rouge stood there looking at them.

She had her black mask over her face again as her turquoise eyes followed them. Nightshade was behind her, looking back and forth.

The Bat looked up at him and said, "You don't need to worry too much, Nightshade."

"You can never be too careful out here."

She looked at the two walking away again and stepped out of the alley. Nightshade followed her looking questionably.

He asked in a low voice as they ducked behind a car to avoid being spotted by a police officer since they were just a bunch of thieves, "So where is our next heist going to be?"

She turned around to directly look at him, "I heard that there was this jewellery store that sold the world most expensive necklaces and bracelets."

"Hmm...Is that it?" he asked in a playful tone, finding it humorous how he could predict her, "Maybe for now on, I should just ask what is the next jewellery store you want to strike next."

She poked his nose, "Oh, someone thinks he's a comedian. I will have you know that it is not just that store we are pilfering."

Faking a heart attack, he looked at her with mocking shock, "It is not?"

She quickly pushed him, "No. It's not. I'll have you know it is a sports store."

Smirking after being pushed, he said, "Go on."

"It's just on the next street. You and your brother, Mace could get your hands on all the stuff you want."

"Sure, thing," he said, still looking at her turquoise eyes.

She turned around to look at what stood in their way and stopped while staring.

He looked confused at her reaction and asked as he leant over her head to look as well, "What is it?"

When he saw it, he too fell silent. People were gathering together and lining up to enter a building. Looking at the building, a look of recognition came from him.

He said, "What, is there a war happening here?"

The Bat shrugged, "Who knows, but this," she shook her head, "this looks strange, even for Station Square."

"I think," Nightshade stood up, "those heists have to be put on hold."

"Hmm...You do have a point. This does look like something that should be investigated. But what is out there to fight? Robotnic destroyed everything. They say that he has gone too insane to really pose a threat to this place, especially with that wall around the cities. It's supposed to make us invisible."

"Uh...Yeah..." Nightshade watched the hundreds of people as the line-up move again.

They went to follow, but after a few steps, he stopped and looked behind him. Rouge stopped as well and tilted her head at him.

She asked, "Are you okay, Nightshade?"

No answer came from him. He looked that way a few seconds longer as Rouge walked toward him.

He eventually said, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just thought I felt something."

"Like what?" she arched an eyebrow.

The Echidna turned to her and walked beside her, "Like something I haven't felt for years. It's probably just nerves. Let's get going and find out what is going on with all of these people."

"Right," she followed his pace.

Meanwhile, Sonic and his friends were following Knuckles who was ahead of them trying to get past the line-up. Amy seemed confused by what she saw, not understanding it. She even saw a poster, saying that there has been an increase in taxes, and people were now expected to be drafted into the army even if they possessed a little bit of strength.

She ran to catch up to the others and said, "Did anyone see what was back there? It looks like the President wants to make an army with anyone who is physically able to do anything."

Shadow looked back, "What?" He looked back at her after reading the poster, "It sounds like he is trying to _turn_ all three cities into an army."

She asked, "But why? That doesn't make sense."

Knuckles glanced back at them while they were talking and looked at the other people around them again. The Humans and Mobians were being forced to become the President's personal army. There was no declaration of war. The population was just ordered to become an army, as simple as that. If there was a war that guy who asked him if he was ordered to come there would have asked if he knew about a war.

That would have been the first thing that someone in a line-up for the army would have said if someone seemed clueless about what was happening. He just said that it was for Station Square's self-defence and not for a war.

Knuckles said, "We have to get to that President fast and find out what is going on here."

Inwardly agreeing with the quickly rising urgency of the matter, Shadow nodded and said, "I think I see him." He pointed up, "He is on the top floor of that building. Someone else is up there too, but it is a bit difficult to see who. I'll bet that is Mephilis."

Amy went on her tiptoes, trying to have a look as well.

Shadow then quickly looked at her, suddenly feeling panicked. Even though all of them look very different from everyone, Amy stood out the most among them. Her pink hair and fur were like a flashy sign that stuck out like a sore thumb. It would not take much for Mephilis to see her in any crowd, no matter how hard they would try to hide.

Sonic said, "Alright then, let's get him."

Sally looked panicked and quickly grabbed his tail. As he ran, he stayed in one spot, making a hole as he tried to run.

"Wait, Sonic, if you go now, you will only make Mephilis aware that we are here. It was already hard enough to find him. We can't afford to let him get away by not making a plan."

Looking annoyed after popping his head out of the hole, ears twitching, "Alright fine, but I still say that it would easier if we just went there and get him. With my speed, he won't even be able to bat an eyelid."

Knuckles said, looking at Mephilis who was standing beside the President, "That would only work on him if his guard is down. There is more to him than you realise. If you fight a shadow, can you do anything to it?"

"Is that a trick question?" Sonic asked, jumping out of the hole, brushing his arms, "'Course I can. After all," he made a troublemaking smirk, "I do stuff to Shadow all the time."

Shadow glared at him, almost growling as his fur stiffened.

Sally shook her head and looked at Knuckles who sighed and said, "Anyways, my point is Mephilis has this weird ability to morph into the darkness itself, and then he will unleash illusions and real monsters at you."

Amy tilted her head, looking at him, when she said, "Wait a minute, remember the orb that Geoffrey and Fiona stole? If we could take it back, we might be able to use it against Mephilis."

Knuckles asked, "What orb?"

Sally said, "Oh yeah, you were not there. You see Sonic used to be trapped inside this gem I found. After I released him, either Geoffrey or Fiona might have stolen it."

"So it was used to trap things?" he asked, rubbing his chin, before looking again at where Mephilis was standing.

She nodded, "I think that last thing we want is to Enerjak and Mephilis in the same place, even if the Zone of Silence is hard to escape. Enerjak must have escaped it before."

"That is true. If that's the case, it is too soon to confront him and the President."

Sonic's ears twitched, and he said, "Let me guess. We are going to find the Skunk and Fox."

Knuckles smirked, "That would be correct."

The group of friends went on their way to hunt down the two who they knew to be the last ones possessing the once cursed blue sphere that trapped a half-mortal-half-werewolf years and years ago, long before Sally Acorn was born and long before the lengthy Robotnic War broke out, causing the destruction of everything precious.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Rouge and Nightshade reached the building where the people were lined up to enter. The female Bat looked at it from the top to bottom, shielding her eyes from the blazing sun. It was the place to register for joining the army.

She said, "I wonder if there is a backdoor somewhere."

Her white ears twitched at the sound of a moving metal grate, and she turned to Nightshade who held one and said in joking attitude, "Would this air duct do the trick?"

She shook her head with a smile and went inside with Nightshade's help. Glancing back and forth, he backed into it and closed their entrance. Rouge took slow, cautious movements down the echoing tunnel as she manoeuvred on her hands and knees.

She could still feel her friend behind her as they searched for their next stop. Up ahead was a light shining through another entrance, which she examined. Down below them could be seen everyone registering as ordered.

Nightshade tapped her shoulder and pointed to the side by a wall where someone stood.

He whispered, "That's the Skunk who tried to go after us before. It seems that he is somehow tied in with all of this."

"Well, he is a CIA agent."

The Echidna rubbed his chin doubtfully, "I don't know...I had a nagging feeling that I couldn't trust him for more than the fact that he could just turn us in for being crooks."

"What sort of bad feeling did he give you?" she was becoming curious, especially since Nightshade had a sixth sense about these things, for certain reasons.

"I'm not sure. It's been a while since I saw anyone that shifty. Now what I want to know is how someone like that became an agent. He didn't even have a proper fighting style. All he did was throw his fists."

"Hmm...It seems that he is not the only one who does. You do your fair share of fist throwing at everything."

He smirked, "Yeah, but I have less military training than CIA agents. They and GUN only have the best fighters as their agents. All the others are just soldiers. The Skunk looks like he is wearing something that is too high of a rank for his fighting abilities."

"So," she looked at him thoughtfully, "what do we have here to work with? We had a run in with a possibly fake agent who is also guarding the President, more than half the city is all the way out here, and to top it, the Skunk was obsessed with getting back this blue gem."

"Yeah, that was weird. I have a bad feeling about what might have happened to the President."

It made her turn back to him again after looking at the people, "Like what?"

He shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe he was kidnapped."

"But someone would have had to have ordered everyone to come here," she pointed out to him.

The Echidna thought about for a moment, "True, but someone could have forced him to make that order."

A look of surprise came from her, "Forced him?"

"Yeah, and it's not the first time I have seen something like this," He backed away to go down a different route in the tunnel, "We should take a look for the President, or better yet see what this Skunk is really about. There's something fishy about him."

"Right," she followed him, fully agreeing that something was definitely wrong.

Meanwhile, Sonic was running through the streets, zipping behind and in front of everything and everyone. It was steadily getting on Shadow's nerves, but he tried to not show it. His arms were crossed as he kept a straight face.

When Sonic got within a certain range, he grabbed Sonic's arm and said, "Do you mind?"

"Huh?" the little brother looked at him, curiously.

"Do you have any idea how irritating..." before the Ultimate Life Form finished, Sonic decided to zip around again, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

He left Shadow with a finger up, and Shadow lowered his hand, looking annoyed. Within seconds, Sonic leapfrogged over Shadow's head, holding an ice cream cone. Sally did not think much about it until she did a double take at his treat.

She thought _where did he get that?_

They then heard someone yell, "Hey you!"

Freezing in her tracks, she thought _oh no, what happened?_

Sonic looked behind him and saw a woman in an apron hurry over to him.

The lady leant against her knees, catching her breath until she straightened herself and said, "You can't take off like that..."

She walked over to Sonic and finished her statement, "...without another scoop. I never let my customers go without what they paid for in such a hurry. I will have to admit, with all I have seen, I have never seen anyone move quite as fast as you."

Sally blinked thinking _so that's what that was about._

Shadow narrowed his red eyes and asked Sonic after the ice cream lady left, "Where did you get that money? Last I checked you were trapped in a gem and came out with an intangibility spell recently." He poked him, "In fact, you shouldn't have been able to get any money at all unless you have a job, which I'm sure you do not have."

"I do?" Sonic asked, blinking. He then licked his ice cream, "There was just something I had found on the sidewalk that said 'twenty dollars,' so I gave it to that nice lady. She wanted to give some back, but I told her she could keep it. She might want to buy herself some ice cream."

Sally smiled and came to him with her hands behind her back, "And how does it taste?"

He took another sample, "It's good."

"Really?" she leant forward, "That's good. Then you are definitely going to like it when we defeat Mephilis."

He stopped for a moment, "Why's that?"

The others looked at her as she explained, "I can't tell you that right now. It's a surprise."

"Aw, come on, I'm bad with surprises. How about a hint?" he looked at her eagerly after swallowing the rest of his treat.

Shaking her head, she said, "Nope. I wouldn't want to spoil it."

He looked a bit annoyed with one flattened ear and another that twitched.

Knuckles walked over there and said, "Did anyone feel that?"

Sonic asked, "Feel what?"

The Echidna's purple eyes glanced around, "That feeling in the air. It's like dark magic or something."

Sonic shrugged, "I don't know. It's not like I could sense the stuff."

Shadow said, "It would be rather simple for me to do such a thing, but even I did not pick it up, tell me how were you able to do that, Knuckles?"

"It's not that hard," Knuckles said, raising an eyebrow, "I guess that means that vampires could sense magic better than werewolves."

"It's possible."

Sally asked, "So what is the dark magic coming from, Knuckles?"

He turned around and motioned to a building, "It's from there."

"But we just walked past that," she said, looking confused, wondering if something bad was about to happen, "You don't think that..." she dreaded to finish, "...that Mephilis could use magic, do you?"

Knuckles stopped for a moment, but then shook his head, "Doubtful that is his magic. It's nowhere near black enough to be his, and it's the wrong building." He walked towards there, "I guess we'd never know unless we look."

Shadow walked behind her as Sally softly asked, "Is it just me, or is there something he is not telling us?"

Shadow silently looked at him walking in the setting sun's rays while Amy said, "I don't know. We did just meet him. Maybe he is remembering something sad."

Sonic ran ahead before he heard them say anything and was trying to pester Knuckles to race him.

Shadow said after a moment of silence, "He is of an extinct race. It's only natural that he'd behave this way."

They went to follow the other two before they were left behind. Knuckles continued on, down the sidewalk, ignoring Sonic and his antics.

Sally thought over what Knuckles could have been sensing that was so terrible, but she could not think of anything or anyone. They hurried over there, and Shadow glanced around carefully at the building.

Now that he was closer, he was able to feel something. It was putting his guard up as he never took his red eyes from the building. Amy closed her eyes, trying to feel something, and opened them looking at the top floor.

She gasped, "It's her."

Sonic looked and asked, "Her who?"

Sally carefully listened, wondering how worried she should be as Amy answered, "It's Fiona. I don't know what kind of magic she is using, but it feels incredibly dangerous."

He snapped his fingers, "That's easy to fix. Back in one sec."

Like a flash, he was gone. Shadow shook his head, feeling that his brother should have stayed a bit longer to listen to whatever else had to be said, such as sticking together because Fiona nearly killed him. In fact, it was Shadow and Amy who saved him.

He ran inside and said, "Who does that idiot think he is? Does he not remember last time we fought her?"

Sally and Amy had to follow as well, Knuckles stayed close to them thinking _looks like it is up to me to protect them since Shadow and Sonic are way out of their reach. It's not as though I blame Shadow for Sonic's one track mind._

Sonic ran through the building in record-breaking speed, searching every room until he discovered where Fiona was hiding. That is if she was truly hiding and not waiting for him to stumble on something really horrific.

While he ran, his feet started to not feel any traction, and before he knew it, he was floating in mid-air. A glowing golden shield encased him, and he reached around until he touched the force shield. He hammered on the wall and saw how firm it was.

"Not cool," he groaned as he pushed against it, hoping it would break.

When that failed, he bounced around and tried to spin into it. Nothing worked. He was still in its trap.

His ears twitched as footsteps echoed the hall. He stood up in a protective stance, ready for a fight as the floorboard creaked in the abandoned apartment building. Fiona walked in, wearing a black gown fitting for a sorceress.

The way her blue eyes glared gave them a fiery appearance that could probably set fire to the unfortunate receiver of them.

Her mouth, however, was clearly smiling as the back end of her dress dragged along the ground. Her red hair dangled loosely from her back and swayed with her movements as she approached him. The front side was shorter, but the whole thing was form fitting.

That did change the fact, however, that there was something sinister about her.

"Welcome to my prison, is it to your delight, my precious?" she asked.

He plopped down, crossed his legs and said, "Heh, you call this a prison? The only thing making it torturous is your smell."

"Oh..." she faked a sad face, "Is that really how it is?" Her foot suddenly stepped hard on the floor, "Oh p-l-e-a-s-e! As if everything is all about you. I will have you know, I was never into you from the very beginning. And also, please," she raised a hand to silence him before he began another insulting speech, "don't bother wasting my precious time saying that we were never together. I've got enough smarts to know that."

He looked at her confused, "Then wha—what was that all about with killing that kid because I didn't like you? Fiona!"

She just smirked, which made his hand shake after he banged the shield again, "If I told you that, everything would be ruined." Her smirk grew with some coldness, making it a tab bit on the creepy side, "You just have to sit tight. Who knows?" She placed her hand on her hip, looking at him with a mighty gaze, "I might not be finished with you yet."

The sound of his friends' voices filled the air, and she opened her eyes saying, "Sounds to me my job is not done. Not to worry, I won't leave any of my guests without entertainment." Three monsters appeared, "These guards will make quick work of you if you break free, and that includes anyone is unlucky enough to find you." She covered her mouth as she laughed a bit, "This is all too easy."

As she left, she called out to her magically conjured monstered, "Stay here and make sure he never leaves. If he breaks free, catch him, but if his friends come, you know what to do."

The doors swung closed on their own once she exited the room, leaving Sonic's fate in the hands of the three who were created to do her bidding.

Where Rouge and Nightshade were, they were outside the air ducts, walking around town.

A man walked up to them and asked, "Now what do we have here? The President said any who are able should report for work. It's your duty."

Rouge said, "I don't know who you think you are, but what makes you think you have any right to say things like that? You don't even know us."

"Do I?" the man placed his arms behind his back and narrowed his green eyes.

He walked closer as Rouge took two steps back. She glanced back at her friend who did not move. Nightshade stayed put as he glared at the middle-aged human.

The man stopped one yard away and said, "It appears that you have not changed at all, Nightshade. Still ducking under the government's radar as a common crook I see."

Rouge decided that she did not trust the stranger and stomped her foot saying, "You had better start making sense. Who are you?"

"You haven't heard of me? I'm surprised. Someone like your friend should have surely remembered me, or is it perhaps because he wishes to keep his past buried so deep, not even he would want to dig for it."

She temporarily glanced back at the Echidna, who stiffened and said, "That was so long ago, it doesn't even matter anymore. Leave her out of it, Commander."

"Commander?" she quietly breathed.

The Commander stepped forward again and said, "I know how you work. People like you sign up only once and then leave without letting anyone know where you go."

Nightshade said, in a surprisingly neutral voice, "I was in one of your battles before. While the Robotnic War was raged, I was there, helping everyone gain back their freedom, but this is different. Something is not right with the President. Any chance that you'll help us?"

Rouge shook her head and turned away, feeling as though Nightshade was not thinking clearly. Even though he worked for the Commander before, there was no way that he would get help from him.

The Commander rubbed his chin and said, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time we did something without the President's know-how. I will tell you what. Work for me again for another year, and I will do what I can to check him out. The both of you could be assigned with the mission to take a look, but you will need assistance." He turned around, "Come with me, and I will show you what you need. But remember," the man glanced back, "if you get caught, GUN will wash its hands of ever having anything to do with the likes of you."

Rouge followed thinking _this can't be real. The Commander is really willing to go under the radar and do something which is entirely illegal. Well, Nightshade did say that his past was a hard one before, but I never imagined that he fought against Robotnic. It must have been too hard for him to say anything, especially since there was a series of battles against him where there were almost no survivors, save three. He must have been one of those three._


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Shadow kept his sensitive hearing open as he raced down the halls. Knuckles and the girls were somewhere in the back as they followed his trail. He did not stop, feeling the need to finish off Fiona as soon as possible.

Ever since he entered the building, something in his gut told him to be aware. After what Knuckles said, it made sense why that was so. Fiona was, after all, a tough one to fight. What made everything more difficult was the fact that he never defeated her. She was saved by a portal that warped her away before he did anything.

Upon hearing a strange, suspicious sound, he made a sudden stop. Clenching both hands, he glanced around, feeling as though he knew something was there.

He thought _there's something about this place I don't like. I wonder if Fiona is here._

Looking back and forth, nothing happened, but he narrowed his eyes, not leaving just yet. If he did not give himself time to think about his surroundings a bit more, something might help him. In a way, it would be easier for him if Fiona came out then.

"Alright, where are you, Fiona? I know you are here, come out now," he said, eyeing the walls that carried his voice in echoes through the hall and empty rooms.

He clenched his teeth with an animal-like growl. She did not come out from that challenge, which irritated him. It looked like he had to look elsewhere.

He quickly took off to look somewhere else. After a while, once he searched a bunch of other rooms, he stepped into one room. Fiona eventually walked out of the shadows gracefully until she stopped to let him see her.

"Looking for something?" she asked, smirking.

He looked at her, "Heh, there you are. You are going to regret crossing paths with me."

The Hedgehog threw a chaos spear, but she teleported with magic. She appeared floating over his head, glaring down at him.

"As if I'd let myself be that easy of a target," she said.

He then quickly appeared behind her and grabbed her arms, saying, "Now I've got you."

It took her by surprise, and she tried to struggle for some means of escape. She managed to use some magic and made a bright flash of light. It made it so then he couldn't see for a bit, and when it faded, she was no longer there.

"What?" he said as he looked around quickly for her.

She materialised in a corner's shadow unknown to him as she moved against the wall. In her hand was a glow while she silently waited.

Shadow found that he was unable to see her so he closed his eyes. When he got close enough to her, she threw a magic fireball at him, but he ducked it.

Quickly spinning around, he snatched her arms in front of her and said, "I'm not letting you get away with that one."

She growled at him as her red hair dangled around her face. Sweat beaded down her brow. It looked like she was in a tight spot. As long as Shadow kept himself slightly charged with chaos energy, she was unable to perform an escape spell.

Where Rouge and Nightshade were, the Commander brought him to an old warehouse. Rouge looked around, wondering why they were taken to such a desolate place. She turned her head when she heard him punch buttons that were hidden under a loose brick.

After he finished, the rickety door swung open, revealing a metal door in excellent condition. That door also automatically moved, but instead of swinging, it had slid up into the doorframe.

The Mobians entered. While Rouge seemed still unsure, Nightshade just walked inside as though there was nothing worrying him. She decided then that if he was fine with everything, there no reason why she had to be so untrusting. He was after all, good at detecting trouble.

The Commander looked at them and said, "It would be a good idea to be prepared. I could give you missile launchers, grenades, or even the whole arsenal, and it will not be enough to carry out the dangerous task of investigating the President. Chances are if there are terrorists or something worse than Robotnic involved, you will need a card up your sleeve."

The Bat's ears shot up in interest, "Oh? Like what?"

Commander's fist hammered a button on the wall, "You will see in a minute." Another sliding door opened, and they entered the elevator, which moved them down, "It is something that we have working on in case of another big attack. Robotnic, as we know, originally existed as a Scientist who wanted to test the Robotisizer. When that was turned down by the hospital to give people a chance to not be put on life support, he took that invention and used it on secret test subjects. When he saw how easy it was to control people like an ordinary machine, he used it to destroy the hospital that said 'no' to him. Naturally, the police were called with orders to place him under arrest. When they came to neutralise him, he refused to be brought in and ordered his new robotic slaves to keep them off his tail by any means necessary.

"That any means necessary ended each of the policemen's lives. But as he was about to leave, he came up with a truly despicable plan. He was going to bring them to the Robotisizer and prove to the world that his mechanism could save lives. Those men were never the same. Even though they were already dead, the Robotisizer was able to transform their bodies into robotic matter.

"But when the government discovered that, they tried sending in more men to put a stop to him. They too received the same treatment. Eventually, thousands more suffered that fate, and civilisation had to struggle to survive and escape from his clutches. Some got away and went all the way out here. Station Square began its development, and as it did, we began sending men to rescue those who were left behind.

"The old city left behind in that mad man's grasp was falling apart. More people than I could count were mindless machines. We were only able to save some, but it was thanks to those brave men who were sent there that many lives were redeemed."

When he said the last bit, his green eyes turned to Nightshade. The Echidna closes his eyes regretfully and softly shook his head.

Rouge glanced at him, sensing that something was upsetting him. She glanced at the Commander again when the elevator stopped. The door opened, allowing them access to a dark room.

It took her by surprise and left her breathless once the lights flashed on and revealed what the Commander showered with so much praise.

They walked to the railing where they were able to have a better view of it.

The Commander said, "On one mission, one of Robotnik's robots was caught in an explosion. Its circuit board was fried as well as a lot of it mechanisms. So we took it back to base and reprogramed it with a bit of tweaking done on its original designs. I give you..." another huge light turned on, focusing on a machine standing alone, "E-100 Omega."

The black, red, white, and yellow robot looked up as red lights flickered on for its eyes.

Its scanners read their organisms as Nightshade said, "You are using one of his robots?"

"Yes, that is correct. By capturing one of his most prized and dangerous machines and upgrading it, we have created a powerful weapon. He was used to defeat Robotnik, and his weapons and fight technics are more advanced than anything we have seen."

Rouge asked, "As big and strong as he is, why would we need a robot to investigate the President?"

The Commander straightened his dark green uniform as the light reflected his badges, "The President wanting to build an army for no real reason, and acting out of character asking everyone to join it, has lead me to conclude that there is something sinister behind this."

Nightshade rubbed his chin until he said, "I would say that you are worried about Robotnic, but you said that it might be something worse."

"That is correct. Not too long ago," he picked up a remote and turned on a large monitor in the wall on the other side of the room, showing pictures of what attacked Shadow and Amy's village, "something fast attacked a village, framing someone else who had unusual powers to run at the speed of sound."

When Rouge heard that, she lifted her head slightly with worry and said, "Wait a minute, are you talking about Shadow?"

"Yes, that is right. He is another agent. I got him to work for me as well years ago, but at the moment I could not reach him. I see that you know him."

"He is a friend of mine who I visit every now and then, but he never mentioned anything about being framed."

"I see," he looked at her, "So, Rouge is it? You and Nightshade should get ready to do your investigation."

"Uh, right…" she thought _how did I even get dragged into this? I don't remember ever saying 'yes.'_

"Agent Nightshade," he said, "if you get into any tight spot that looks like you could use more power just press the button on your glove. Omega should respond to it and get you out of there. I will ask the scientist here to allow your voice to give commands to its audio sensors."

The Echidna nodded, allowing that to be taken care of while Rouge watched them. They were next taken to another room for their training.

Where Knuckles was, he was running with girls, keeping his grip firmly on his magic sword. He had to somehow track down where Sonic ran off to, and with Shadow out of their sight, he probably had to find him as well. When one thinks about it, both of the Hedgehogs were hard to follow.

Sally glanced around as she followed until she stopped and looked at another room. She took one step in, saying, "I wonder what over h…"

A sword nearly cut her foot, which made her scream, pulling her leg away as her fur stiffened. Knuckles heard that pretty fast and ran to hit the weapon with his sword.

It banged the sword, which looked to be made of hard stone and pushed it back. The owner of the weapon was standing in the shadows as he pulled up his stone weapon.

 _What kind of crazy sword is that? It's not even made of metal_ he thought as he narrowed his purple eyes at the mysterious enemy.

Amy stayed behind him as her face became pale. She took a step back, thinking _oh no. I know this feeling. It's black magic._

Her hands curved a bit as light glowed on them. Her green eyes kept a steady gaze at the swordsman who possessed dark magic.

Knuckles swung his sword at the enemy that was ten feet tall, but when the magic sword struck him, it bounced back, throwing the vampire off his balance.

 _What? That felt like…_ he thought.

The stranger lifted his sword and flung him into the ground. Amy instantly threw a couple balls of light at the attacker, which forced it to step back.

Sally helped Knuckles up, asking, "Are you okay?"

"Never mind about me," he said as he struggled to stand up, "You should run to safety."

"But..."

She could read his face that was covered with red hair and shadows, "Just do it. No arguing." He softly said, "There's no point putting on a brave face because you don't have powers. That just makes everything harder."

He walked towards the attacker again as he staggered. As he walked to it, through all of his staggering, Sally could easily see the determination in him. He was going to do whatever it took to stop that thing.

Lowering his sword, Sally saw him make it glow once again before he tried to cut the stone sword. For someone who said that the sword had the trait of sucking away power and never returning it, he sure had no problem using it as though it had no effect. She started to wonder how truthful he was being about it. Maybe it did not do anything after all. But if that were the case, then Shadow should not have been affected by it.

Knuckles was truly a strange one.

She was knocked out of her train of thought when another swordsman showed up and stepped in her way. This one stood in the light where she could have a better look at it.

 _Its face..._ she thought _it—it looks like stone._

The thing took another step forward. _And so does the rest of it!_

She closed her eyes, embracing the hit as its arm swung at her. Its aim was not the best and struck the boards beside her. The wooden floor had a hole from where pieces went flying.

"Sally!" was called out to her, making her blink.

Her name was repeated, "Sal, over here," she looked up and saw Sonic suspended in midair.

"Sonic, is that you?" she called, looking at him trapped in a ball.

"Yeah, it is. You have to get out of here. There are three of those things here that Fiona made to get rid of whoever came here."

She had to duck the monster's next punch into the wall, and after lowering her hands, she said, "I can't just leave after finding you like this."

"Don't kid yourself. You're only going to get yourself creamed."

She looked at the monster, whose hand was stuck in the same wall it whacked. Climbing the rubble beside Sonic's ball cage, she gritted her teeth because it was difficult. A small bit of it was loose and fell down, nearly making her lose her grip on the stuff she was scaling.

"Forget about me, it's not worth it," he said, trying to push against the see-through barrier.

She managed to reach the top, "That's not going to happen," her legs crouched, and she jumped, "Not if I have anything to say about it!"

The Squirrel grabbed onto the orb and thought _how am I going to break this?_

Sonic glanced at what she was doing with wide eyes, noticing how she was dangling over the edge.

The monster whose arm was trapped in the wall broke free, making Sonic yell, "Get out of here."

"How many times do I have to tell you that is not going to happen?" she called back.

"There isn't anything you can do here. If you don't get out of here now, that thing is going to get you."

She stopped moving for a minute, "Thing?"

The monster feet rested behind her, making a loud thud. She slowly turned around and screamed.

Becoming more panicked, Sonic started hitting his prison's walls more, calling her name. He was forced to watch her being thrown down into the ground where she became still, lying on her side. Her blue eyes were closed.

Becoming even more panicked, energy surged through his body, and his eyes flickered red. He slowly stood up as a wind began to appear in the room. Even Knuckles stiffened as he blocked some attacks.

 _I know what that is_ he thought as he pushed the enemy's stone sword back _it_ _feels like a werewolf trying to transform._

He quickly sniffed the air _whatever it is, it is not a pure one. That must be Sonic. When I saw him the first time, I knew he was half mortal from the scent his blood was giving off. He is in this room, and from the smell of it, he must be in trouble._

Sonic's body pulsed as his fur thickened and his hair became messier. His teeth and fangs grew as well as his claws, which he swung as the ball's barrier. His red eyes angrily stared at the monster as his sharp claws sliced at his prison. Small slashes were made in the barrier until it was big enough to let him out of there.

He yelled in a growl, "You are through."

It reduced the monster into rubble that rolled onto the ground. When he sensed the other two monsters the room, he destroyed them as well. Knuckles' eyes grew when he saw what obliterated them.

Amy felt frightened when she saw what jumped in front of them and tore those monsters. Her hand stayed behind her back as her pupils shrunk and stared at him. She had lost so much nerve from the bad vibes she received that she could not even conjure a simple spell.

Her magic was useless.

Sally slowly came to and saw that some rock piles sat in front of her. There were three of them. Sonic was no longer in his cage, and she quickly looked around. She then saw Amy hiding behind Knuckles, who had his sword on the ground. Strangely, it did not look like he was going to charge it, but he still held onto it.

Looking at what stood in front of them, she saw a beast a bit taller than Knuckles standing there. Its fangs were huge and so were its claws. Her heart thumped faster, but she looked at it again. Sure its eyes were blood red, but something about them was familiar.

It then dawned on her who it was. It was Sonic. She was sure of it. He did mention to her before that he could transform. How he got that way was a mystery to her, but she had to do something before it was too late.

Running towards him, she said, "Sonic, wait."

The monster turned to look at her as she ran to him.

Knuckles called out in alarm, "Don't do it. There is something wrong with him."

She looked at Knuckles who grabbed onto her and shook her head, "I have to help him."

"You can't help him. When a werewolf undergoes a transformation, he loses sense of who is his friends and foes and kills them all. The same thing will happen to you."

"How did this happen to him?" she asked, still wanting to go to Sonic.

Knuckles glanced at Sonic, who looked ready to go after them, "He must have been either close to death or angered by something."

 _He wasn't that injured when I saw him,_ she thought, remembering what happened when she saw him, _in fact, it didn't even look like he was injured. Although when I woke up, his prison was cut up as though a creature did it. That would have to mean that he changed when he was in there, but why?_ She thought about when she was knocked out _it wasn't because I was hurt like that, was it?_

She tightly closed her ocean blue eyes, _but that would have to mean that this is my fault._

Shaking her head, she pushed past Knuckles' arm and rushed over to Sonic. The Echidna looked at her panicked and was going to pull her back.

She said, "I think I know why he is like this. It's because of me," turning her head back to look at him, she said, "When he saw me get hurt; he must have transformed. I have to try to reach him."

Knuckles looked a bit unsure as she slowly walked to the werewolf. Amy was just as concerned about what the Squirrel was trying to do. She could get torn to shreds.

"Sonic," she said as Sonic growled at everything. "It's alright. They're gone. Don't worry, I'm not that hurt."

She wanted to reach him and give him a hug to assure him that everything was alright, but it was hard to tell if that was a good idea.

Taking one more step to him, she smiled and said, "You already got rid of those things that Fiona made."

She came closer, but Sonic stepped back, not wanting to hurt her.

He thought _she shouldn't get any closer. When I'm like this, I can't control my actions very well. I might do something to her, and if that should happen..._ he narrowed his red eyes sadly and jumped back.

Unfortunately, he bumped into a corner. It allowed her to come to him again, and she touched his arm. Looking at her still panicked, Sonic continued to growl. Her blue eyes softened, looking at him as her other hand softly touched his shoulder.

Both of her hands slide down his arms until they touched his upper arms.

Unable to take it any longer, she quickly pulled him into a hug and said, "Please come back to me."

His face calmed as he looked at her, and his fur shortened. The wind his aura created slowed to a stop, and he hugged her back.

"Sal," he quietly said.

It surprised her, and she looked up at his face.

 _He's back to normal,_ she thought as she buried her head into him, _thank goodness for that._

Knuckles was surprised and watched the two hug each other. He thought _that girl is full of surprises. When Hedgehog was out of our reach, she was able to extend her hand and pull him out of the darkness. Even with all of our powers, that is something none of us could have done._


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Shadow still had Fiona in his clutches. She was not going to escape that time.

Glaring at him, she said, "Release me at once!"

"Only if you tell me what you and the Skunk are up to with someone named Mephilis and Enerjak," he said back, keeping a steady eye contact with her.

She wanted to throw a spell at him really bad, but she knew the amount of chaos energy from him was forbidding it at the moment. The black Hedgehog had to be somehow distracted.

A green blast was thrown at him from behind, forcing him to release her and jump over it. While he quickly landed to have a good look at the source, she floated in the air again.

Sure he did not see anything, but there was definitely someone's scent there. It was familiar somehow. He sniffed the air while Fiona raised a hand to cast a spell. She began to turn invisible.

Shadow noticed that and said in irritation, "Oh no, you don't."

He threw a chaos spear at her, but he missed. It made him swear under his breath as he re-examined the room. Not only did he have to deal with her. She had help from someone, and whoever it was, he could also tap into the chaos force.

Shadow threw more spears at wherever he felt or heard something, but of course, that did not do a whole lot of good. He stopped for a moment, thinking _great, not only I couldn't see her or her friend, they are having me randomly fire energy. By the time I have a good idea of where they are, they will be long gone. I will have to use the chaos energy force against them by focusing on the energy rather than the noise and movements._

He closed his red eyes, ignoring everything in that room.

Fiona, who was still invisible, looked at him, thinking _what a fool. I only need to strike him in that position._

Lightning sparkled in her fingers. She would have fired it, but after looking at the Ultimate Lifeform a second time, she changed her mind. A reddish glow from the chaos energy he was using covered his body, making the wind blow around him.

 _Why of things must he use that energy? It could weaken any attack I do on him right now. He must have realised my magic's weakness. This can't be good._

"I'll take it from here, Fiona," someone said beside her.

She looked and saw Geoffrey. Looking at his hand, she also noticed a greenish glow. He was able to see her because that was how she had cast the spell. Only her friends could see her.

Narrowing her eyes, she said, "That disguising spell you are using is about to break. If that breaks in front of him, you won't stand a chance."

"Thanks a lot, Fiona," he sarcastically mumbled.

She went to make her escape but was cut off by a chaos spear. Looking back, she was able to see Shadow walk towards her. His hand was glowing green while the rest of him was radiating red.

Both of the enemies looked panicked at how quickly he was able to find them. Looking back and forth, he began to evilly smirk, worrying Geoffrey and Fiona.

Fiona was wondering how he was able to find her, thinking _impossible. My magic spells are flawless. No matter what I say while Invisible, I could choose whether or not others could hear me. How did he track me down here?_

Shadow thought _I have found them. If it weren't for that Skunk, I would not have been able to sense the source of the energy._

Geoffrey stuttered, glancing down at his hand and back at Shadow, he said, "That's just cheating. You used me to find my energy, didn't ya?"

Smirking as he took another step forward, Shadow said, "Yes..."

As he continued to move, the light from his hands, highlighted the shadows on his face, making him look even eviler. He seemed to be enjoying this.

Fiona backed up slightly, shielding herself with her arm, saying, "Great, now what?"

"Heh," he said, "How's about you cooperate before I lose my patience."

He looked way too happy for either of the villains' comfort, and Geoffrey clenched his fist, thinking _man, this sucks. I hate waiting for the right moment for my transformation._

He fired another chaos spear at Shadow's feet to distract him and use the warp ring for an escape, but Shadow did not even flinch. The Hedgehog continued to stare at them like prey that he was dying to pounce on and attack.

Looking back and forth, the Skunk, said, "Oh, whatever," and used the warp ring anyways.

Shadow quickly dove towards them and barely made it through before it closed.

Where Sonic and the others were, Sonic's ear twitched, and he stood up, saying, "Hear that?"

"Hear what?" Sally asked, walking behind him as he peeked outside the room through the doorframe.

Knuckles glanced at them and said, "You mean that sound across the hall? Good chance that is Shadow."

He lifted his sword and ran out of the room just as Sonic pulled Sally and charged out of the area to investigate. By the time they got there, the warp ring closed, but Sally saw the last bit of the ring.

She said, "Hey, that's the same thing that got Fiona out of our first fight with her."

When she got close to it, she tried to grab it.

Knuckles quickly snatched her hand out of the way and said, "I wouldn't do that."

"But if we don't stop it, Fiona will get away," she said, looking at it anxiously.

Before the portal closed, Knuckles lifted his sword and touched it with it. It froze the warp ring in its action, keeping it open.

Knuckles sheathed his sword and said, "Never touch a warp ring that is about to close, unless you want to lose a hand."

"How did you do that?" she glanced at his sword, which she noticed was not charged.

"It's a magic sword. If you use it right, it could transfer, create, and control energy."

He then used the sword to open the ring more.

Sonic perked up and said, "Any chance that I could use that to be faster than Shadow?"

Glancing at the blue Hedgehog, Knuckles said, "This sword isn't a toy. It's a powerful weapon used to attack big threats."

"Yeah, yeah, sure thing," Sonic nodded, not listening on purpose, "So could I have it?"

"No," Knuckles jumped into the portal.

Everyone went in after Knuckles, hoping that there was not a trap on the other side.

Meanwhile, Rouge and Nightshade felt that they were as ready as they were going to get. Nightshade went over to Rouge after they were dressed in dark spy clothing.

He cleared his throat and said, "For someone who was on the street when I meet you, you sure know how to fight. I talked to the Commander and ever he agreed that you were surprisingly good. I thought for sure that I was going to have to guard you a lot."

"You know me," she winked, "I'm full of surprises."

He went beside her, "You sure are. Tell me, is this the first time you did something like this?"

"Not really," her usually unserious face became dark, and she looked down to the side, "You see, there is a reason why I became a thief."

Looking interested with concern after she paused and continued to look at her feet, he softly said, "Go on."

"My father was not a very nice man. When I was little, my mom left him because of a big argument. I don't blame her one bit for it either. If I was old enough, I would have left him too. But he had me, and refused to allow me to see her. The laws here are different from what they used to be in Mobotropolis. When someone breaks up, sometimes the children only get to see one parent."

Nightshade sympathetically touched her shoulder, and she looked at him and he asked, "I take it that he was not the best father?"

"Far from it," she said, "He was close friends with the King and had spent no time with me. He ignored me, and one day, I decided to escape. Ever since then, I lived out on the streets."

"And where did you learn how to fight?" he asked, leaning against the wall next to her.

"When I lived with my dad there was this old knight who was nice to me. He taught me a few things about fighting when he saw that I had a fighting spirit in me, but I've never regretted leaving him."

He kissed her cheek, "That's understandable. You had a harsh childhood, but I'm here now, and I'll never let anything like that happen to you." She looked at him as he was softly smiling at her, "You are under my protection now. I promise."

"Nightshade," she quietly said. The Bat stretched over to him slightly, "Do you really mean that?"

He gently grabbed onto her hand, "You had better believe it. I will protect you with my life."

"You don't need to get that carried away," she said as she leaned a bit more forward.

He bent his head down, "Sure I do. It's what someone does when they care about someone." They kissed right there.

As they left the room, they were holding hands, hoping that everything was going to go well with the spying on the president.

Before they left, Nightshade checked the buttons on his black leather glove. He was able to relocate the red button to summon Omega.

Rouge walked behind him and said, "At least the sun has set. We get to the President without detection."

The Echidna lowered his arm, "That's for sure, but I wouldn't count on it being easy just yet."

She laughed, "True, but I have a strong Echidna to protect me. We will be fine."

He shook his head and continued to walk beside her. They arrived at their destination, the building where the President was supposed to reside. There was a light on, showing his silhouette in front of a lamp.

It looked like he was talking to someone. When they got a certain distance, Nightshade tensed, which made Rouge asked, "Is something wrong?"

He rubbed the front side of his head as though something bothered him, "Yeah, there is something up there in that building. I can't say for sure what it is, but it is really making me wonder how accurate the Commander was when he said that we might need Omega."

"Why's that?" she asked.

"It feels...powerful..." he answered, still looking at the building.

He then tensed even more and ran into the building. Rouge quickly followed after him, saying, "What is it?"

He did not answer as he hurried upstairs, thinking _I recognise that feeling that appeared up there just now. I hope I could get up there before something bad happens._


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Ten minutes before Rouge and Nightshade got to the building, Sonic was the first one to arrive on the other side of the portal after Knuckles. The Echidna was looking around carefully in their new surroundings, full aware that Fiona had to have been close by with possibly Shadow.

The place they were standing in seemed like a hallway. Sally stopped walking to peek through a window. They were three stories high in an apartment building. It was the same one where the President was staying.

As Sally went to catch up to Sonic, she slowly walked behind him thinking over all that happened in so little time. Until the day she entered the swamp where Sonic was trapped by her Grandfather's curse, her everyday life was so ordinary in comparison.

When it was not summer, she had school. Then there was the thing where she was for a short time with her father and then with her mother. Sure she kept herself busy, but she never even considered stories and legends to be very important. She was unable to afford to get into that with how broken the world was.

After Sonic was released from the bond to the blue sphere that they had to somehow find, they were working so hard to uncover the intentions of Enerjak. Once they tracked him down, they were left with a few clues as to where Mephilis, Fiona, and Geoffrey were.

Now that they followed the warp ring, which was more than likely involved with Fiona, they were sure to be on the right trail.

Sally almost crashed in Sonic when he stopped, and she peeked over his shoulder.

"What is it?" she asked, which made Sonic moved his green eyes to her.

He said, "I smell that Skunk. He's definitely here."

She glanced down where his fist clenched and looked back at his frown. A faint growl could be heard from him and he surveyed the room they entered. Light steps were taken as she stayed close to him.

He looked back as they moved and smirked ever so slightly upon realising that she was that close. There was no way he was going to let something happen to her.

Even while transformed, he was still able to remember her face, the way it was so frightened of what he became. Despite how he must have appeared to her, she still came and saved him from the darkness he was plummeted into from anger and horror.

There were no words to describe how relieved he was to see her in one piece.

While he kept his thoughts about fearing for Sally's life to himself, Amy decided to see if any dark magic could be tracked to one source. The great amount she felt had to come from somewhere.

Closing her emerald eyes, her walking slowed to a stop. While she did that, Knuckles kept a sharp eye out for anything suspicious. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, which he never sheathed since they arrived.

He looked back at Sonic and noticed how he also stayed in one spot smelling something. When the Echidna thought about it, there was a familiar scent in the air which reminded him of Geoffrey, but there was something about that scent. He took a sniff as well and lowered a hand.

That scent belonged to a magic conjured disguise. Geoffrey might not have been a Skunk at all. Because of how long the Skunk might have had the spell cast on himself, Knuckles was unable to figure out what kind of creature he actually was, but the question was why Geoffrey felt inclined to hide what he truly was. Surely by angering Shadow, he had signed his death warrant.

As he glanced around, in the back Amy suddenly opened her eyes and gasped.

She called out as Knuckles looked back at her reaction, "Everyone, look out! It's Fiona's lightning attack."

Shortly after she said that lightning came in a hurry. Everyone had to hit the ground and roll out of the way. Sonic jumped on Sally since she was behind him and protectively covered her from the enemy's attack.

Sally screamed as one strike came within inches of getting them. Her cheeks blushed as she noticed how close their faces were, but when another lightning strike came, she buried her head into Sonic.

Upon finishing his roll, Knuckles crouched on one knee and swung his sword with both hands. As its glowing blade had cut through the air, it deflected the lightning bolts. He gritted his teeth, trying his best to not let go of his means of defence.

When there was a short break in the attacks, he stayed on one knee as his sword acted as his shield for his head. Slowly lowering it, he focused his eyes on whatever laid ahead. It seemed like it all came from the dark corner in front of everyone.

A pair of blue eyes became visible as they narrowed at him and walked away through the doorway beside them. A small growl escaped from Knuckles, and he decided to take the initiation and followed them.

They had to be Fiona's. Her eyes were that deep sapphire colour.

Sonic glanced up at the Echidna, realising what he was doing. He too was about to join him, but a boomerang struck the board beside him. Looking at where it came from, he saw a black Skunk walked towards him with a sick twisted smirk.

He glared at Geoffrey, pulling Sally closer. Sally noticed Geoffrey as well, and she looked up at Sonic's unimpressed stare at the foe.

She thought _it looks like we are on the right track after all. Geoffrey is here, and he seems to like hanging out with Fiona, meaning that she has to be here as well. What could those two be planning? I could not help but feel like we were lured here._

Sonic looked at the boomerang and snatched it before the Skunk did, looking evil.

Taunting Geoffrey, he said, "Aw too bad, you've lost your toy. Now you can't do anything to us."

"Now just a minute," the Skunk said, looking angered, "You're implying that I can't fight! I'll have you know, I have plenty of things up my sleeve."

" _Sure_ you do," Sonic said with a smug face, "don't worry I won't tell anyone about it."

That comment caused Geoffrey to clench his fists, "Why you..."

He tried to punch the Hedgehog, and Sonic muttered, "Uh oh," scooping up Sally as he jumped away to safety.

After that quick dodge, he landed, crouching on a wall, hanging onto a beam. Sally was staring wide-eyed at the floor, hanging onto Sonic for dear life. They came close to being crushed by the Skunk.

Snickering, Sonic rolled his green eyes and mocked Geoffrey, saying, "Oh yes, that one really got me that time," he tilted his head slightly with a troublemaking smile, "I'll tell you what."

Geoffrey looked up with his hand still in the hole he made in the boards as Sonic continued, "You jump over here to hit me, and I will stay right here. Think of it like a free shot."

Sally's fur ran up and stiffened as she looked at the cocky Hedgehog, saying, "You will what? You can't be serious."

"No worries, Sally," Sonic said to her as her arms wrapped around his neck more to stay above the hard ground.

Geoffrey stood up, and muttered, "Sounds good to me, a little too good actually. How can I be certain that you will keep your word about this?"

Sonic said to him, "Don't worry your pretty little head, Geoffrey. When a Hedgehog gives his word, consider it a done deal."

The Skunk narrowed his eyes and said, "Alright then, I will take that. Get ready for the worst beaten imaginable at my hands, rodent."

"Give it your worst," Sonic said back.

Sally still looked unsure and said, "But, Sonic, if you don't move, he will get us for sure."

"Just trust me," he quietly muttered with a smile.

As frightened as she was, those three small words were enough to make her silently accept his crazy notion of giving the enemy a chance to do something. She just had to do what he asked, trust him. And trust him she did, with all her heart.

She watched as Geoffrey ran toward them, saying, "This is all too easy. I will have to thank you for one thing. You are incredibly stupid."

Just as the Skunk came one foot away, he had suddenly found out that he couldn't lift his feet above the ground. Looking down at what fastened his feet, he saw a black puddle on the ground. There was tar sitting there.

Sonic smirked again and said, "Free chance gone."

Before Geoffrey had a chance to complain and shoot an insult in numerous unpleasant words, Sonic kicked his stomach and jumped to the other side. When he landed, he still held Sally in his arms as he glanced back, looking evil.

Geoffrey was flat on his stomach, stuck on the ground, unable to budge free from the puddle. He fired such a nasty glare as Sonic shrugged.

The werewolf said, "Now how do you suppose that got there? It must be your rotten luck."

Geoffrey said, "Wait a minute, you knocked it over when you jumped over there with your speed."

Sally muttered, "Wow, that was…pretty clever..."

Sonic blinked, "I did?"

Amy thought, looking at them _Actually, I think I saw Sonic accidentally knock it over while trying to get away from Geoffrey._

"Even if that didn't stop you, I was going to hope that you were going to fall down that hole," Sonic said to the Skunk, nodding, feeling as though he still outsmarted the enemy.

Geoffrey pulled himself up again, clenching his teeth, "You are going to regret that you ever crossed me just like the other time you had beaten me."

His body began to lift itself out of the muck.

Sonic then looked confused and said, "Beaten you?" His finger scratched his head, "I don't remember winning against you in a fight."

Geoffrey's face froze as he thought _I should have kept my mouth shut._

His face began to change from horrified at his slip up to thoughtful thinking _then again, maybe right now is the perfect moment to let him see what I really am._

Sonic turned to Sally and asked, "Did I ever win in a fight against him?"

"Maybe he is talking about before you were trapped in the blue sphere," the Squirrel suggested.

Geoffrey quickly returned to his feet and said, "Alright, that's it. You're going down."

A blackish red glow emitted from him, which alerted Sonic. The Hedgehog grabbed Sally and pulled her right behind him. While he and Sally witnessed the strangeness occurring around Geoffrey, Knuckles was still following those blue eyes that he saw earlier.

It led him down a hallway to where he saw the President sitting in a chair, alive and well, beside an unconscious Shadow. Shadow was on the floor with only a small bruise on his forehead.

Glancing at the President again, Knuckles stopped and said, "Alright what is going on here?" He then remembered the pair of strange eyes he followed and immediately growled, "Where are you? Show yourself."

His hand seized his sword, lifting it up into a ready position.

The President looked at him with a stern, emotionless manner, saying, "What do you think you are doing with that? You ought to not enter rooms where you are uninvited, soldier."

"Soldier?" the Echidna muttered, looking confused.

He then remembered that every able citizen was ordered to become part of an army as though a great war was about to break out again. The President must have been assuming that Knuckles was one of the people who had joined his army.

Knuckles said, "I'm not part of your little army."

"Well, you should be. I have ordered everyone who could to do so. To not obey means imprisonment."

The Vampire glanced down at the unconscious Werewolf, "What did you do to him?"

"Oh him?" the President looked down at Shadow, "He was just a troublemaker who made an attempt on my life."

Knuckles instantly narrowed his dark purple eyes, and putting his sword down a little bit, he quickly glanced back at him. With a swiftness that the Human did not anticipate, the Vampire snatched his shirt and had his back against the wall.

Knuckles said with more forcefulness, "If there is one thing that I won't tolerate, it is liars."

"Wh—wha—what...makes you...say that...?"

The Echidna pushed on him more, "Your scent. Now what actually happened?"

As the Vampire looked at his eyes, he realised that things were not what they appeared. In fact, those eyes appeared glazed.

 _He is being manipulated with a spell_ Knuckles realised.

Dropping him, he stepped back turned around. Behind him was Fiona who leaned against the wall, checking her nails with a careless attitude.

She slyly glanced at him with her blue eyes and said, "That hotheadedness of yours can be charming...at a distance."

Hardening his face, he said, "It was you wasn't it?"

Standing up, she brushed one hand against her long black dress, "Not really. It's Enerjak's spell that binds him." She then dramatically added, "I'm just simply a mindless simpleton, doing whatever our boss asks."

The Fox began to talk long graceful steps forward.

Knuckles did not comment and kept his eyes on her. She was so untrustworthy like a snake trying to look for that right angle to strike its prey.

He held up his sword in between them and said, "Don't get any closer. I've got a sword, and I'm not afraid to use it."

She rolled her eyes, "As if that would do anything to me."

Before her hand slid out of her scarlet hair, he sliced through the air, smashing that ground in front of her.

Glancing up at her, he said, "Now back off."

"As if you frighten me."

Fiona threw a lightning attack at him, which he dodged. He quickly dodged another attack and threw one of his own. His sword cracked the ground, nearly hitting her. He then nearly got her side, but before she did anything, he grabbed hold of her.

A faint green glow came from him and his eyes as he said, "Last chance. If you don't do it, I'll send you to the zone of silence instead of the place where you belong."

Shadow was slowly returning to his senses as he heard this.

Fiona finally said, "Alright, you have made your point. I'll do it."

Knuckles released her but had his sword ready in case she pulled anything. She raised her hands in front of the President, glancing back, anxiously at Knuckles. It looked like the Vampire meant business.

She frowned at the Human that she was forced to free and clenched her teeth. After the President was released from the trance though, there was a shake in the ground. It almost knocked over Shadow, who was starting to stand. He had to use a side table for support.

"What was that?" the black Hedgehog called out to Knuckles.

Knuckles looked at Shadow and said, "I have no idea. It doesn't quite feel like an earthquake."

Fiona did not say anything aside from her sudden triumphant smirk.

It caught Knuckles' attention, and he said to her, "You know what it is don't you?"

She tilted her head forward, giving him direct eye contact as she answered, "Prepare to embrace the end. Enerjak's trance may be broken, but if you watch the news, you will find that the President had already placed us in charge of Station Square's army while he was under my spell."

Both the Vampire and Werewolf took an immediate dislike to the mischievousness in her remark, but they took no time to investigate the sound. Before they left, Knuckles glanced back at Fiona.

He told Shadow, "You go on ahead." The Echidna glanced over his shoulder at Fiona, "I'll deal with her."

Shadow nodded and hurried, following Amy's scent, worried that she was caught in whatever happened.

Knuckles held up his sword and thought _I really hope no one realised that I used so much energy while fighting Fiona earlier. If anyone finds out about it, that person might figure out what I really am._

He used it to send Fiona into a portal.

Looking at it, he thought as she was pulled in while screaming _at least she will be in Anti-Mobius where she belongs. Now to deal with the other problem._

He turned around to the door where Shadow ran to find Amy. Looking at his sword, he somehow felt that no matter how hard he tried, the villains he fought were never going away. They were just going to keep escaping the prisons he had sent them to each time he used the sword's dimensional powers.

He walked through the doorframe. Enerjak was imprisoned by Shadow before and broke free. There was no telling how much time it would take him to leave that place again. Before Knuckles got to the right room where the shaking came from, Nightshade and Rouge stepped into the room.

Nightshade called out, "Knuckles!"

As Knuckles looked, his purple eyes widened, and he said, "Nightshade?"

Rouge stopped behind Nightshade, looking back and forth from both Echidnas. The resemblance was remarkable, even though Nightshade had more scars, like the one above his eye, and darker red hair.

Knuckles thought _that's my brother. I haven't seen him since I was a kid. Father told me that he was lost._

Rouge looked at her friend and asked, "Who is that, Nightshade?"

"My...brother..." he answered, finding it hard to believe that his little brother was right there.

Knuckles took a step forward, and they hugged each other. Nightshade quickly wrapped his arm around his brother after and gave Knuckles a nuggie, saying, "Where have you been all this time?"

"The...island...would you quit that?" Knuckles said with a slight smile on his face.

He managed to twist himself free from his brother.

Nightshade said, "I haven't been able to find that floating chunk of rock. It kept moving from one spot, and I was too young to find my own way when I went missing."

There was another shake, which caught Knuckles' attention again, "I will have to talk to you later."

"What is that?" Nightshade asked, looking the same way as his brother.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, I have to deal with it."

They quickly went in to where Geoffrey was making his transformation. As the bright light around him diminished, a different form was in his place. It was a green Hedgehog that looked like a duplicate of Sonic.

Sonic's green eyes became huge as he said in surprise, "Scourge!"

The green Hedgehog lowered his black sunglasses and said, "You had better believe it is me, goody two shoes. Ever since I heard you were still kicking, I just had to take my revenge. It sucked, but I had to pretend to be someone else while trying to blend in that village that your brother _tried_ to live in."

"And what was the point of that?" Sonic glared at him, remembering that Shadow and Amy told him about how a certain Skunk ruined Shadow's life and reputation in a village by killing a little girl who did absolutely nothing wrong.

"Hah!" Scourge held his head, "You can't even guess that? It was because I needed to get revenge on Shadow as well. I can't let someone like him live peacefully after helping you beat me." He then quietly added, "Besides, he was supposed to be dead after Chaos attacked him, not sent to another time."

Sonic's growl faded into a blank face, "Sent...to...another...time...?" Falling onto his back, he rolled around laughing, "Ah, ha, ha, ha! Oh, that's rich. You can't even get rid of someone properly."

"That someone was _Shadow_."

"Yeah, and? Oh, wait! I remember. He was the one who whipped your butt when you came to kill me. Well, that went well."

Scourge growled at him with his green ears flattened in irritation, "Will you shut up, already? I had it up to here with you."

He ran towards Sonic to grab him and had the Hedgehog against the wall. Sally looked shocked and worried as she watched them.

In her panic, she saw Scourge pull out a blue gem. Her eyes' pupils shrunk as she quickly recognised the blue sphere that had Sonic trapped so many years ago.

The green Hedgehog said, glaring at him, "You know, it is thanks to Fiona that I could use this because of a spell she had cast, allowing full-fledged werewolves like me use it to trap you forever. After you go in here, I'm going to throw it into a volcano where you could melt into mush."

Sonic quickly kicked him in the gut, "Uh huh, _sure_ you will. I'm much too fast for something as slow as you, Scourge."

"Hah, we'll see about that."

He ran after Sonic and jumped onto him, holding out the gem with closed eyes. Nothing happened.

Sonic laughed again and mocked, "Yeah that went well..."

"Will you be quiet for a minute?"

"Make me."

He was really testing Scourge's patience. Amy stood in the doorway, watching the whole thing. She could not believe what she heard. Geoffrey was not Geoffrey at all. In fact, it was someone who wanted to get back at Shadow and Sonic for something that must have happened so long ago.

While Scourge was getting irritated at his gem, saying, "Why won't this stupid thing work?" Sonic laughed his head off at him, not worried at all.

It was confusing Sally why nothing was happening but then thought _maybe there is a special way to use it._

Shadow came in next to her and said, "So that is what was going on."

"I can't believe it, Shadow," she said, looking at him, "he tricked us, as well as everyone else, and then there is Maria." The girl covered her mouth, "How horrible. I can't forgive him for something like that. No one should have to die just because someone wanted revenge. I still can't forget how she looked when that happened."

Shadow closed his eyes with deep thought. He too never forgot. In fact, looking back to that day always made it difficult for him to forgive himself for not keeping a better eye on that little girl. He did, after all, leave Maria just to tease Amy. If only he knew better than that. That girl might have been still alive if things happened differently.

Amy touched his crossed arms, sensing that he was in a self-blaming mood.

"Shadow? You know, it's not your fault..."

"And what if it is, what then?"

"But it's not. You could not have known that it was going to happen. I'm to blame for it just as much as you. Both of us were not there to stop it from happening, but you can't control the past. When bad things happen, you will constantly think that you could have done things differently or better, but we have to move on with our lives. Otherwise, you will miss out on what is right in front of you."

When she said the last bit, he looked down at her and touched her shoulder, "You are right. I do need to move on. I won't let Scourge get away with causing anyone more pain. It's bad enough what he did to us."

He walked over to where Scourge was and fired a chaos spear at him. It made Scourge move out of the way, and Sonic poked his head up, looking at Shadow.

"Oh hey, Shads, I see you are back."

Shadow ignored him and went to where Scourge was.

Sonic shrugged and said, "Alright, sure thing then, Mr Gloom-and-Doom."

"You're going to regret what you have done, Scourge," Shadow said, throwing another spear before the green Hedgehog could even react.

Knuckles came in in time to see Scourge jump past him.

He blinked, not understanding it and said, "Uh, I think I'm missing something here." He looked at Sonic and pointed at Scourge and Shadow, "Who is that?"

"Oh, that?" Sonic answered, "That's Scourge. It turned out that Geoffrey was really him that whole time."

"Who's Scourge?"

"I will tell you later. Right now you just have to send him away with that magic sword of yours."

"Right," Knuckles got his sword ready.

He was going to take aim, but the two Hedgehogs moved too fast. His eyes grew wide as Shadow jumped in front of him before jumping away from Scourge's chaos spears.

Nightshade glanced at what was happening and reached for the button on his black glove to summon Omega. Seconds after it was pushed, they heard a weird sound outside. A hole was shot in the wall, and a robot was on the other side with its jetpack on, hovering above the ground.

The robot said, "Omega at your command."

Shadow recognised the robot since he also worked for GUN and said, "Omega? What's he doing here?"

Amy asked, "Who is that, Shadow?"

"That's one of the robots that are at GUN. It's odd that they are involved though."

Looking to the left, he saw Nightshade asking the robot to help fight Scourge. Shadow had to dodge Scourge again, but he also saw Rouge.

He thought _okay why are there so many people I know aside from that Echidna over here, trying to get killed by Scourge?_

Scourge laughed and said, "I'm going to make you wish you were never born."

Omega opened fire and shot at Scourge. It made the green Hedgehog crash into the ground. Knuckles then decided to hit him with his sword. When he saw that Scourge moved after he swung, he punched him in the side.

It knocked Scourge off balance, making him drop the blue sphere. His eyes grew wide, giving Sonic an opportunity to hit him. The gem rolled to Sally's feet, and she picked it up to take it before anyone else could. There was no way that she would let anything like that happen to Sonic again.

Sonic kicked Scourge in the chin, making him hit the wall. Amy saw him about to get up and made snow blow towards Scourge.

Scourge looked at her, which made Shadow quietly say, "What is she nuts?" He called out to her, "Hey, what do you think you are doing?"

She looked at him and said in his mind with her magic, _don't worry, Shadow. It is just a diversion. Get Knuckles to use his sword before Scourge realises it._

Shadow clenched his teeth and jumped over to Knuckles saying, "Knuckles, use your sword."

The Echidna nodded and said, "Heh, finally."

In a single blow, he swung his sword at Scourge, opening a portal to suck him away. Scourge glared at Sonic and said, "It's not over yet. You just wait and see. I will make you pay."

Sonic shrugged after he was gone and said, "What's with bad guys and threatening before they get defeated? I'm starting to get less and less paranoid about them coming back to attack."

Sally looked at him and asked, "And if they do?"

He smirked, filled with some much cockiness, "Then I'll fight them again. Hey, don't worry, Sal. It'll be dull if there were no bad guys around."

"I guess..." she looked a bit unsure but felt oddly safe with Sonic around.

Knuckles thought _that's two down, there is still Mephilis left. He should be somewhere in this building._


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

As the friends carried on, Sally glanced down at the blue sphere she held since Scourge dropped it.

For some unknown reason, it did not work for him. Maybe Fiona's spell to allow him to use it despite not having any mortal blood in him was not good enough.

As the gem rolled around in her hand, she could not help but feel something was off.

Knuckles noticed how absorbed she seemed to be in the blue sphere and stopped to ask her, "What is it?"

She stopped moving, still looking down at it, "I'm...not sure...I could be wrong, but it almost feels as though it is not giving off any kind of energy like it usually did. Why would that be?"

He gave it a funny look as he listened to her. She was right. Now that he thought about it, it did seem somehow powerless. Even though he had never seen it before, he could tell that there was something wrong.

Glancing back at her, he said, "Are you positive this is the right one and not just a rock? There is nothing powerful about it."

She looked at it more as Sonic looked their way. The Squirrel had so much doubt in her face as she lifted the jewel for a better look.

The blue Hedgehog stepped towards her and said, "So what if it's not the jewel? I'm not complaining. It just means that Scourge and Fiona must have grabbed a phoney. Actually, it's both kind of funny and a relief. That means that we were not in that much trouble and that those two couldn't have been really bright."

"I guess..." she said as her hand rubbed her arm.

Her blue eyes looked at the ground in uncertainty, thinking how they were still not much closer to retrieving the gem.

She said, "But I thought for sure that Scourge and Fiona had it with them."

"Then if they didn't have it, it should still be at your house. We probably missed it."

While he told her that, Nightshade looked at Rouge and gave her a look.

The Bat looked back at him and sighed, saying, "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

She went over to them and held out the gem to Sally, saying, "Here, I do believe this is the gem you are talking about." The albino girl pulled her hair behind an ear, "Long story short, I took it from Scourge and gave him a fake when he tried to take it back. I was going to keep it, but I can clearly see that it is somehow important to you."

Sally looked at it and said, "You did that? Thank you so much for giving it back."

"The pleasure is all mine."

Sonic said, "Wait a minute, are you a thief?"

Rouge smirked and said, "My, my, aren't we observant? Don't get too upset. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be having your precious rock."

Sonic looked annoyed as Sally said, "Well, we are really glad that you helped us. What is your name? I don't think I caught what it was."

"Oh, how careless of me. It's Rouge, Rouge the Bat," she motioned to her friend, "This is Nightshade."

Sally looked at the other Echidna, "Hey, you look a lot like Knuckles. You're not by any chance related, are you?"

Night nodded after crossing his arms and said, "Yeah, we are. He is my younger brother."

"Oh, I didn't know that he had a brother. It's nice to meet you."

He laughed, "Actually, he has two brothers. The youngest is back at home while Rouge and I came out here."

"I see."

As they spoke, Sonic whispered to Shadow, "Is it just me, or does it seem that there are now more Vampires than Werewolves?"

Shadow answered, also in a whisper, "It's not just you."

Knuckles thought as they kept walking _as soon as I find Mephilis, I'll make him tell me what he did and make him fix everything back to the way it should be._

Sally glanced up as they entered another room and saw Mephilis waiting for them under a dark shadow.

He tapped his fingers together patiently as they entered, saying, "So, you have gone through my minions in one piece. Impressive."

Shadow narrowed his red eyes at him and said, "Now I understand. Scourge and Fiona were never in charge of anything. You are. It was you who got Scourge to either kill me or make me wish I was dead. Though I'm not sure why."

A chuckle came from Mephilis, "Clever. But as observant as you appear, there are things you fail to comprehend. Years ago before your birth, I was the most powerful wizard of my time. Many feared and acknowledged me as their ruler. There was not a person ignorant of my name. Then one day, you decided to challenge me. You thought you destroyed me, but thanks to my powers, I gained a new body, imitating the form of the one who defeated me. That way I would never forget your face, and remember who I shall give a painful death."

A glare was given by Shadow who frowned, "You threatened to attack _me_ if I didn't move. Naturally, I did not have any desire to comply."

The black Hedgehog thought _so Mephilis was that wizard I saw that day. I almost don't remember that fight that happened so long ago._

Mephilis looked at him, "That is your undoing, Shadow. I will never rest until you are on your knees begging for mercy since it was you who defeated me."

Knuckles watched them converse and stepped out of the shadows, holding onto his sword. Mephilis glanced his way and began to smirk menacingly.

He turned to the Echidna and said, "Ah, yes, I have not quite forgotten about you Knuckles."

Knuckles stopped moving and said, bringing his weapon in front, "Then you know why I'm here. You have ten seconds to explain the one thing I have been questioning myself every night when I go to bed and wake up each morning. What did you do with that Echidna I knew?"

Mephilis calmly closed his hands together, "Heh, after so many years, you still continue to worry over what became of your little friend, the girl with the pink hair and purple eyes."

Knuckles clenched his teeth as Amy looked at him, thinking _he did say that Sally and I reminded him of a friend. I had no idea that it might have had something to do with me having pink hair like that friend._

 _Mephilis must have had a hand in whatever happened to her. Knuckles did mention that he liked to use your loved ones against you, and quite often Knuckles would seem so lonely._

 _It made sense why he acted certain ways. Someone dear to him was taken away by Mephilis. It was no wonder why Knuckles wanted to find him so badly._

Knuckles lifted his blade above the ground and said, "Tell me what you did with her right now," he narrowed his purple eyes, "or live to regret it."

Mephilis calmly laughed and said, "Fool, you stand no chance against me. Without your little friend, you are nothing." He then thought for a moment, "However, I do like challenges. I'll tell you what. Defeat me, and I will give you back the girl. Lose, and you'll join her."

Knuckles was silent as he glared at him.

The Echidna finally spoke in grave distrust, getting ready to use his weapon, "Deal."

His sword glowed as though to match his anger at Mephilis, nearly hitting the shape-shifter as he swung it.

Mephilis, however, made a flip to the side and sunk into the shadows on the ground, saying, "You can never catch me. I am darkness."

"We will see about that."

The Echidna gritted his teeth. As he looked around, a green steam came off his body. Nightshade looked at him with a slightly alarmed face.

He thought _he shouldn't be so careless. Even I could tell that he had enormous amounts of energy. That's how I found him. But if he does not hold back, Mephilis will clue in on what he actually is, and then things will get really complicated._

Monsters came out of the ground, surrounding everyone, but Knuckles had no problem with any of them. Every time he sliced through one, it would turn into an ink-like substance and pour onto the ground, blending in with the shadows.

As Knuckles sliced his sword around, Shadow was also hunting for Mephilis. The Ultimate Life Form calmly walked, cutting down the creatures with single chaos spears as though they were nothing special.

Once the dust settled after three of them were struck down at the same time, up ahead stood what appeared to be the enemy. Despite that there were others wanting a piece of the villain, the full-fledged Werewolf had no intention of leaving them anything. Mephilis was all his.

Without a second thought, Shadow jumped towards him, aiming for his side. It knocked the Wizard over, which made Shadow smirk in satisfaction. That smug look began to fade when he noticed that Mephilis was too pleased for someone who was kicked.

As Shadow continued to glare, his ears twitched. Something was behind him. His red eyes barely moved to look as a dark purple crystal was thrown towards him. Even though he dodged it, a tiny bit of it nicked his shoulder.

It felt as though that small scratch was instantly undergoing infection as he clutched onto his shoulder. The pain, it was as though someone rubbing hot peppers and salt into the small cut. It should have been healed within seconds. It made no sense why something so small would not have been repaired by his supernatural healing powers.

As he knelt onto the ground, holding onto his wound, Mephilis stepped towards him and looked down at him with those queer greenish grey eyes that were surrounded in blood red.

Shadow looked up at him with a low growl, not at all intimidated by his smug face.

 _What is wrong with me?_ Shadow thought _why does this injury bother me so much? He did something to me, I just know it._

Mephilis lifted a hand as another crystal similar to the one that injured the Werewolf formed within his grasp.

Taking aim at Shadow, he said in an almost laughing voice, "Perish, and know who is your better."

Amy thought she heard something and turned to where Shadow was. She saw Mephilis about to deliver the blow and gasped, running over there.

"Shadow," she quietly said in her panic.

Before she even got close, the crystal was put into his back.

She yelled even louder, "SHADOW!"

A glow appeared in her hands, which she fired at Mephilis. It took him by surprise and slightly knocked him over.

"Who dares?" he angrily said, looking around until he spotted Amy standing there.

Shadow's eyes grew wide as soon as he saw that Amy attacked Mephilis, and he tried to stand up. The way the crystal wounded him made him fall back to the ground though. He still tried to get up, knowing that it will be bad if the enemy got his hands on her.

Amy tried to look brave as she stared at an angry Mephilis. He was not too fond of the interruption she caused and had a dark energy swirling his grip.

Her brave face quickly became a panicked one as she held her breath.

Remembering what the monster did to the one she deeply cared for, she thought _I must be strong. I won't let him get what he wants. He will not get to see me scared no matter what he pulls._

She closed her eyes as her body glowed with magic energy.

The pink girl thought _I will continue to fight and will face my fears for you, Shadow, even if it kills me._

Mephilis made the darkness he held fill with more power as he prepared to throw it.

It was hurled towards her at an indiscernible speed. More white magic formed around her body and by the time it reached her, it turned into a light, vanishing from their sight.

Mephilis narrowed his eyes and thought _what is she? She is no ordinary wizard._

He walked to her in a slow creepy manner with a curious look as he reached out for her. She tried to back away, but he grabbed her shoulder and ran a hand through her silky, pink hair.

He thought _even this colour is just unnatural for a Hedgehog to have._

She pulled herself away from him, but his grip was tight. The pink girl tried to kick him, but it did not seem to have any effect on him.

Shadow jumped right in between them and kicked the fiend onto the hard ground. The black Hedgehog then quickly snatched Amy and held her close, growling at Mephilis.

He said, "Lay one more finger on her, and I'll rip off your arm. Your quarrel is with me."

Mephilis chuckled and said, getting up, whipping the blood off his jaw, "Everyone has one with me. That matters very little to me."

"Nothing ever does matter to you. Attack me all you like, but she stays out of it."

"But, Shadow..." Amy said, but she stopped when she saw his face.

He told her, "This is my fight. There is no need for you to become involved."

"I'm already involved. You can't just tell me to not help you like that."

"It's too dangerous."

Mephilis laughed and said, "As much as I enjoy listening to your lovers spit spat, I have better things to do."

Shadow muttered, "No chance."

Before he moved with a chaos spear in hand, the pain in his shoulder acted up and forced him to bend over in pain. Amy quickly went over to his side and noticed how bad the injury was.

He said, as though he read her thoughts, "Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

"Not with that injury you are!"

She pulled him back and used her magic on it. It did not seem to work so she looked at it again. Something purple stuck out of his shoulder's cut, but it looked possible to pull it out of there.

She placed her slim fingers on it and yanked out the sliver. As soon as it was out, the wound began to heal and close. Shadow blinked upon realising that it no longer hurt and stood up, confused.

He looked at her and said, "You're getting better at that healing power."

She shook her head, "It wasn't me, Shadow." The girl held up the purple shard, "It was this thing. I found it in your wound when I was looking at it."

He picked it up but dropped it as soon as he touched it.

She glanced at him as he put his hand down and said, "I'd better take care of that monster as soon as possible."

Before he left, Amy saw a burn mark on his hand that held the shard. She would have stopped him for more questioning, but he was out of ear shot.

She thought _is that purple crystal like poison to him?_

Shadow went to find Mephilis again to defeat him. When he reached him, he had a spear ready and watched Mephilis fight Sonic. The blue Hedgehog was being pushed against the wall as he clenched his teeth in the heat of battle.

Shadow wanted to take aim, but to do so would have taken out his brother, which was not what they needed. He kept an eye out for an opening, waiting for the right moment when Mephilis was away from Sonic for even a second.

As he observed the enemy, Knuckles was doing his share of fighting and was hitting everything he could with his charged up blade.

Turning to his right, he noticed that Sonic was dealing with what looked like Mephilis. He also noticed that Shadow was waiting to take a shot. Once Sonic kicked Mephilis away, Shadow fired the chaos energy at the foe.

Mephilis sensed it and ducked it. It made Shadow swear under his breath as his red eyes scanned the room. He had to locate Mephilis fast before the enemy pulled another attack.

Knuckles glanced behind the black Hedgehog and tightly held onto his sword. Mephilis had teleported behind Shadow and was about to attack him.

The Echidna lifted his glowing blade and said, "Move it, Shadow."

Shadow's eyes become large as he jumped to the side, and he watched as the energy from the weapon struck Mephilis. Knuckles ran over there and punched Mephilis after he stood up.

On the floor boards again, Mephilis glared at the Echidna who pointed the magic sword at him. The shapeshifter looked at him with a shocked face, staring at the blade that was too close to him.

Knuckles looked at him with angry purple eyes that even frightened the Wizard as he said, "You lose. Return my friend."

The way he had him, Mephilis was too cornered to move. Knuckles had him trapped. While the Echidna was talking to him, the others surrounded him. All of his monsters were defeated and each of them was ready to fight him if he did anything to escape.

He thought _I have no way out. This Echidna and his friends have me trapped here. For some reason, I could not tap into the dark chaos force. It must be this Vampire's chaos energy locking my ability to do so. Is his power really that strong?_

He growled in annoyance, "Very well, then, Knuckles. You win, for now."

A dark swirl appeared in the sky behind them, and it eventually developed into a hole that led to darkness. There was nothing but a gloomy looking world on the other side.

Knuckles narrowed his dark purple eyes, thinking at first that it was some kind of trick, but then he saw someone unconscious on the ground in that world.

She had pink fur that was dirty and messy while her face, even though it was covered in mud, was soft with some kind of gentleness.

His face softened as he realised _that's her...I'd know that face anywhere. Julie..._

Looking at his friends, he said, "Make sure he will not do anything."

Sally watched him and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to get Julie out of there," he answered before hurrying to where the pink Echidna was lying.

As he jumped through there, a strange feeling overcame him. He did not understand it. Images flew past him as voices rang through the odd looking atmosphere.

Looking around, he thought _as weird as this portal's entrance is I think I recognise those voices, though I'm not sure where I heard them before._

He then stopped as he stared at a familiar image of a young red Echidna hugging onto his mother.

 _That boy…that's—that's...me. All these images are bits of the past, and if I'm not mistaken, they are all a part of my life. Why is that? Maybe it's because of how this type of world is made to make you suffer. After all, everyone I see in the past is no longer alive._

He then saw something that struck him as familiar. Taking another step closer, he saw what looked like Julie climb out of a hole in the ground, looking confused.

He thought _it's her so many years ago. I still remember that very first day when I saw her._


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30  
 **Thanks for waiting for this chapter to come out. It was really difficult to get to it with how things come up whenever I have a good idea of what I want to do. Your positive reviews and favorites are so appreciated. Thank you so much.**

The image of the past showed Julie walk out of some bushes after leaving the hole in the ground, wearing what looked like a modern day shirt and jeans. She looked around a bit unsure of where she was. Looking back, she frowned at the woods.

Knuckles thought, as he watched the scene, _that's right. She was somehow teleported from another time. That hole in the ground she fell in had the strange ability to join my time with hers and teleported her to the island. If I remember right, she came from the present. The only reason why I'm not familiar with anything from where she came from was because she didn't take anything with her that was from there._

Julie thought as she continued walking _okay, Julie think. I went for a walk outside and saw a strange glow from the woods. It was raining but I guess when I slipped and fell into that giant rabbit hole, I must have lost consciousness. What I don't understand is how I got here._

Knuckles realised as he watched the image move _it seems that I could hear her every thought while watching this vision._

The girl kept walking until she saw some cross roads. Her face lit up as she thought _hey, that must be the way back home. At least I'm no longer lost..._ She froze and stared down at the road for a couple seconds. Something did not feel right. _I didn't know that the park I was in had dirt roads._

An Echidna dressed in what looked like armor walked behind her and said, "Since when do women travel alone?"

She stiffened and turned around, ready to tell him that she could take care of herself, but she became wide-eyes when she saw his uniform.

"I...uh...I mean…I...uh..." she said, not quite sure what to say to someone wearing what looked like such strange clothes to her.

"And what strange garb you are clothed in, what is the meaning of this? Are you some kind of spy for the Mortals? You reek of one," he pointed his spear at her.

She stared at it a bit shocked until she looked annoyed and said, "Wait what? Whoa, whoa, I'm not a spy, and what do you mean by me reeking like one?"

He narrowed his eyes at her as he continued to steadily hold his weapon's sharp end at the girl, "Your clothing is not of our culture. State your name, Spy, as well as your plans while you come with me."

"But I didn't do anything wrong."

"You cannot fool me, wrench."

"Excuse me?"

He poked the spear at her, "Get moving, and no funny stuff. I'm watching you."

"Okay, I'm going."

She went with him and was forced to walk to what looked like a village.

Julie thought _hold on a minute. That looks like something out of the middle ages or earlier. And here I was thinking that he was just a weirdo carrying a stick. What is going on?_

The man took her through the place where other Echidnas stared at her. She glanced back at them and thought _okay, I might be the only one here not wearing robes or weird clothing, but that doesn't mean to stare at me._

One of the people said, "Who is that? I don't believe she is of here."

Another said, "Perhaps she is a Witch or a Werewolf."

"Perhaps. That would explain the strange clothing, but what about that scent of hers? It smells so mortal."

"Well, everyone knows that when your level is high enough, you could disguise it. Only the Chief and Guardian would be able to tell the different because of how high their powers are.

A woman carrying a child nodded and said, "You don't suppose that she would steal and kill our children do you?"

"Well if she is a witch, she will want them for sacrifices, but if she were a Werewolf on the other hand, she might want to devour them."

"How dreadful!"

Julie's eyebrow twitched as she said, "Huh?"

She thought _things are really not making sense. Why are these people talking about monsters and witches? Everyone knows those things don't exist._

Another Echidna stepped out of what looked like a shrine and said, "What is going on out here?"

Julie turned to look at him and saw that this man was dressed in something that looked like a chief's outfit. He eyed her suspiciously as he walked past her and then continued to the guard who had brought her there.

The guard explained, "Chief Montezuma, this spy," he pushed Julie forward, "was seen outside the village. She must have been sent by another country to stir up trouble."

Julie looked back and forth and said, "Um, I think there has been some kind of mistake."

Chief Montezuma looked at her and said, "We are of a strong race. We never make mistakes. When a spy is caught here, we quickly deal with them." He turned to the guard, "See to it that she is thrown off the Floating Island. No one is to know of our existence on this island."

She blinked, "Thrown off the WHAT?"

The guard nodded, briefly bowing his head, "Yes, Sir, consider it done."

Looking back and forth between the guard and the chief as two other guards seized her upper arms, she said, "I hate to break it to you, but...there are no such things as floating islands."

Chief raised both eyebrows, "Are you ill? You are standing on one."

She looked at him funny as if he were insane, "I think I'd know it if I were on a floating rock."

He banged his staff on the ground with a furious red face, "I beg your pardon?" His hand gestured to the entire area, "This is our home you are talking about. Don't mock it so."

"I'm not mocking it," she said before she kicked one guard and then punched the other.

They each fell over, and the chief became extremely angry as he yelled to the other guards, "Don't just stand there. Restrain that woman, and carry out my sentence."

The men quickly got on their feet and carried their spears over to her.

While all the commotion happened over there, someone called out from inside the shrine, "What is all that noise about, Montezuma?"

The chief glanced back, over his shoulder, and answered, "Ah, Locke. There is no need for alarm here. We are just dealing with this wench. She is a spy and will be exterminated as according to our ancient customs."

"A spy?" the voice spoke back.

The voice's owner stepped out of the building where the chief was able to see him.

Chief Montezuma kept his staff firmly on the ground as he nodded and tilted it towards the cloud of dust, "The men are dealing with her as we speak. Not to worry. These men are professionally trained."

His jaw dropped in disgust once the dust settled and showed Julie on the side staring wide-eyed at the men who were grabbing hold of each other instead of her.

While the chief clenched his teeth with a low growl, Locke rubbed his chin in interest.

Locke looked at Julie who glanced back at him and asked, "Will someone please tell me what is going on here?"

The chief yelled, "Do not speak to the Guardian so formally. His ranking is higher than everyone's, including my own, and is to be respected."

Locke said after he touched the chief's shoulder, "Hold on a minute, old friend. Something tells me there is more to this woman than what meets the eye. I would like to speak with her alone."

Without any objection, aside from the skepticism in Montezuma's face, the chief bowed and left them, taking his men with him.

Julie stared at the Guardian once they were by themselves, and he cleared his throat, saying to her, "Tell me. How did you come here? I heard someone out here say there was no such thing as a floating island. I take it that was you?"

She nodded, "Yeah. That was me. They don't exist."

"Odd. I could tell from your scent that you are mortal, and yet you somehow found our hidden town without knowing this is a piece of land floating over the ocean."

"A ' _mortal_ '?" she blinked, feeling even more confused.

"Yes...you have never heard that term before?"

"Not when talking about people in real life," she said, tilting her head, "That guard called me that earlier. Why have you been calling me that?

He looked at her oddly as he folded his hands behind his back, "Because of the scent you bear. There is no hint of a monster in your veins." The Guardian looked at her closely, "You look tired. Why do you not come inside? I can promise you, you will be perfectly safe. You are not a normal woman after all."

She followed him, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means," he sat by a table and picked up a cup, "That you have spunk which is rare to find in any Human or Mobian. Us Vampires are picky about who we like to devour. If we find someone who has a certain level of spiritual energy or what you youngings call ' _spunk_ ,' we normally leave them alone and sometimes even protect them. Now about this place that you came from...?"

He looked up and saw no Julie. She had taken off at the word ' _vampire_ ' and did not hear the rest of his statement about how Vampires did not eat people with spunk like her.

The Guardian looked around and muttered, "Was there something I said?"

Julie was around the corner, behind the wall, huffing and puffing after running there.

She thought _Vampires? After all the crazy things that have happened so far, I feel inclined to believe it. I have to find a way to get out of here. Maybe if I went back to that hole I fell in, I could get back home, or at least back at that park. I want to go home._

A sound of banging pots caught her attention and she peeked around the corner after tightening her fists.

She thought _I have nothing but my fists and feet to defend myself._ The girl then heard the echoing sound of footsteps. _Whoever it is he or she is coming closer._

As a shadow of someone came closer, she slid against the wall. She then stopped, remembering that she was close to the room where she ran away from Locke.

With panic purely on her face and with a quickened heart rate, she thought _I'm trapped. I can't leave this spot without being caught._

The person who was coming showed up around the corner where Julie stared at him with uncertainty. He looked a lot like Locke, except he appeared to be much younger and did not have a grey beard under his chin.

Unlike the other Vampires she saw earlier, that one slowly began to smile and said, "Hey, I don't think I have seen you here before. What is your name?"

She stopped moving, "It's Julie. What about you?"

"I'm Knuckles."

He thought, looking at her, _it's not common_ _to see a mortal girl hang out here. She probably got lost or something._

She looked at him, wondering what he was going to do since he was vampire.

As she went around him without turning her back to him, she said, "Well, will you look at the time. I should be going."

"What's your hurry?" he tilted his head at her, not understanding what she was up to.

Her hands reached behind her, feeling for where the door opening was, "I—uh...had left the kettle on at my house. It would be a mistake to just leave it alone and let it cause a fire."

"Uh…" he gave her a funny expression as she went out of the door, "What's a...kettle?"

She stopped and back up, looking at him because she did not expect him to ask something like that, "It's something that you use to boil water." The female Echidna raised an eyebrow, "You never heard of one?"

He shook his head.

It was her turn to look confused, and she thought _this whole set up is odd. Everything here is like the ancient times. Come to think of it, this town is like another time period, but that's ridiculous. You can't time travel. Can you?_

Knuckles watched her as she began to look panicked and asked, "Are you feeling okay, Julie?"

"I don't know. Say, Knuckles, what's the date?"

He crossed his arms as he looked outside, trying to think about it, "I think it is...the...5th of June. It's really not too bad for a summer day."

She waved her hands, shaking her head, "Uh, no, no, not that."

"Then what other date are you talking about here?"

Just as he finished asking that, she quickly grabbed his shoulders, "I'm talking about the year."

"The year?" his head backed up slightly because of how close their heads suddenly were.

She nodded, "Yeah...it's hard to explain. I just have a feeling that something is off here."

Closing his purple eyes, he grabbed her shoulders and picked her up to put her back on the ground instead of holding onto his shoulders, "I see. Well, if that's what you want, the year is 217."

"Okay, so it is 217..." she then stiffened and turned to him, still looking panicked, "But that is impossible! That's like over 1800 years behind what it is supposed to be." She began to pace, "What am I going to do?"

After a pause, he said, "Do you mind explaining to me what is upsetting you?"

He walked beside her as she paced the room, she then stopped and looked at him, "I'm...not sure how to explain this one."

"Try me," he said.

"Okay..." she looked at him as he sat in a chair that was behind them, and he motioned her to continue. She sat in the one next to him, "Basically, it went like this."

She went on to explain how she got there, and how a walk through a park turned into a walk through some unfamiliar wilderness.

He looked at her and said, "And that's it?"

About to say that it was ridiculous, he froze when he saw her face.

She said, "You don't believe me do you? You probably think that I'm giving you some kind of fishy tale like it's some kind of joke. That's alright..."

It took her by surprise when he touched her shoulder, cutting her off, and said, "I don't."

She felt strange that time as she stared at him.

Just like that, he did not find what she was saying a lie.

He added, "No one lies saying something like that with a face like yours. Time travel can happen. This island is filled with so many unnatural secrets that nothing ever surprises me."

"You know, you shouldn't believe everything that people tell you. It could get you in trouble."

"I'll take my chances. Besides, your blood tells me that you are not lying."

Both of her eyebrows rose, "My blood?"

"Yeah, your blood. Not many Vampires can detect it, but I could tell whether or not someone is lying about something."

"Do you have more power than most Vampires?"

A short laugh came from him, "You could say that." He rubbed the back of his head, "I'm actually the current Guardian's son."

She pointed to the other room, "He's your dad?"

He nodded, "Yep." A troublemaking smirk grew on him, "Don't worry. I don't get any special treatment because I'm related to him."

Remembering how the Chief seemed to treat the Guardian as something higher than his own position, she asked, "Why don't you? A Guardian seems to be highly regarded around here."

He lifted a finger, "That's true, but I make it a point to avoid attention."

It made her curious, "How do you do that?"

He leaned back, "How?"

She nodded.

He said, "By disappearing whenever a party is being thrown by the Chief or going into the woods whenever I could."

"So, I take it you are not a people person then?"

He shook his head, "No. Not a chance. What about you?"

"Me?" she made herself a bit more comfortable in her chair and pulled a pinkish-purple hair strand behind an ear, "I don't like people either. They always make comments, accuse me of everything," her head was slightly bowed down, "or push me around when I'm already down, or tell me every day that I'm never going to accomplish anything."

He began to sympathetically look at her as she began to appear so sad. It saddened him to see someone so down-spirited. Looking around, wondering what to do, he spotted a white lily and pulled it behind him.

Clearing his throat, he said, "I don't know much about people, but no one deserves to be treated that way."

"Oh, Knuckles, don't worry about it. I got too carried away with what I had to say," she held onto her reddened cheeks, feeling how warm they became, "Not everyone is that bad. I just have bad experience with them..." she stopped talking when he held out the flower in front of her.

Her eyes looked down at it with speechlessness. She slowly reached out to take it and examined its beauty and colour.

She looked at him as he said, "As long as you're with me, I won't let you go through any more of that. You're friends with me now, and that means that you are under my protection."

A wind from outside blew into the room, rushing through their hair and twirling different scents around them.

No one has ever promised to protect her before like that.

Knuckles looked away, red in the face, thinking _I have never met anyone so likeminded like me. She doesn't like people because of how they treat her, and she is not afraid of telling me what she thinks. Because of what I am, no one wants to do that because they are worried about offending me._

Locke came into the room and stopped when he spotted his son with the mortal girl.

The father said, looking at them, "Am I interrupting?"

Julie stared at Locke, half-expecting him to be upset because she ran away.

Knuckles rubbed the back of his head and said, "No, we were just talking about stuff."

The dad folded his arms, "I see. If that's the case, then I'll leave you two alone."

Julie blinked thinking _he isn't upset? I mean, I did take off while he was talking to me._

He touched her shoulder, which surprised and alerted her as he said, "You and Knuckles have a good chat. It's not very often he socializes like this. Carry on with the good job."

She said, "Wait...I uh..."

The Echidna watched the Guardian walk away as if he was not sore about anything.

Knuckles looked at her and asked, "What is it, Julie?"

She turned to him and explained, "Well, remember how I told you that Vampires are not in my world?"

He nodded, "Yeah..."

"Your dad took me to another room to talk with me, but when he said that everyone was Vampire, I panicked and ran out of the room."

He began to laugh a bit and covered his mouth to hide it, "Is that what happened?"

"Hey, it's not that funny. I might have upset him."

"It's alright. He already knew that you were a mortal, and mortals have the tendency to not always know that we are not human until it is too late," he then held out a hand, "But don't worry. You will not catch me hunting Humans and Mobians. I find that their blood tastes terrible."

She raised an eyebrow, "Taste terrible? I thought Vampires like drinking our blood."

He shrugged, "I guess I'm not like most Vampires."

Outside was a bit of commotion, and they went to see what it was. Some guards came in, carrying some of their wounded.

Julie said, "Is there a war happening?"

Knuckles did not say anything as first. She looked at him as he tightened his jaw, staring the small bit of chaos that entered their village.

She ran out to take a closer look, and Knuckles said, "Hey, wait, Julie. People won't be too friendly to someone like you if you're by yourself."

"I'll be careful. Besides, you're here to protect me."

Sucking some breath, he muttered, "She sure is trusting."

He caught up to her where they saw the physicians tending the injured. Julie watched them sympathetically.

Knuckles was also looking there and said to her, "There is this beast that has been terrorizing the village for months. No one has been able to do anything about it."

She looked back at him and said, "No one? That's got to be discouraging."

"Yeah, I've wanted to find it and kill it myself, but my dad hasn't been exactly willing to let me go do it."

"I'm sure that he is just worried about you getting hurt or worse."

He rubbed the back of his head, "More like paranoid. What kind of Guardian sits while everyone is trying to get rid of the one thing that is threatening everyone here?"

She thought _whatever a Guardian is, it sounds like it is someone who has a lot of responsibility. Knuckles wants to do so much for others, but it seems that there is not much that he could do. The poor guy..._

He bowed his head down and said, "I hate watching more people go and come back injured. Sometimes they don't even return."

Julie reached out for him, saying, "It's not your fault, Knuckles."

He looked at her, "When people suffer while I could stop it, I consider it my fault until I do something about it."

A sword was thrown into the ground in the middle of the crowd, and the person twisting its hilt gazed upon his fellow men, saying, "I've had enough of this. Our people are dying, and we are throwing countless Vampire Swordsmen into the Dragon's jaws."

Another soldier looked at him and asked, "That's true, Tobias, but what are we to do? If we stop, that thing will come and devour us. We stand no chance against it."

"We don't, but I know of the one thing that can."

The men looked at each other until another guard asked, "What is this thing?"

With a sharp glance, the red-eyed vampire said, "The Legendary Magic Sword. Legend has it that a fair young Princess Tikal once possessed this magnificent weapon. Whoever owned it was able to slay hundreds of beings, be they mortal or fey. One day, an evil Magician named Mephilis stole it and used it to kill her kindred. She was so horrified by what happened that she used her magic to exile him to another country. Left with nothing except the magic sword, she hid it in the island. Some say it is in the Lost Ruins where people enter but never leave. Whoever finds the sword gets to manipulate its fearful powers for his own purposes."

Chief Montezuma walked behind him and said, "Is that so, Soldier? Tell me are you willing to brave the forbidden Dark Forest dangers to those dreaded Ruins on a hunch that your theory is correct? Surely, the men here are not foolhardy enough to risk their necks over a fairy tale."

Tobias looked down at his own injured foot that was tightly wrapped in white cloth and his footless leg from their latest raid on the Dragon. He was to never independently walk on two feet again. That beast's jaws made sure of it.

Knuckles listened as the Guard said, "I know what I speak of. This Sword's power is unmatched and will make good work of that Ice Dragon."

The Chief knocked Tobias over with his gold staff, and his black eyes coldly watched him as he said, "Order must be maintained. Our perfect army has no room for impertinence such as yours." Montezuma looked at the rest of his men who observed the scene, "Return to your posts and go to your homes for much needed treatment."

Knuckles' purple eyes moved from the man to the guard who was using his sword for support. He approached the man who glanced back with much alertness.

He stiffened into attention as he said, "Master Knuckles."

Knuckles shook his head, "Just 'Knuckles' is fine. I want to talk to you for a minute, Tobias."

The guard glanced at him unsure until his nodded, "What would you like to discuss with a man of lowly stature such as me?"

"I heard you mention about a sword."

Tobias raised an eyebrow, "The Princess' Sword?"

Knuckles nodded with eagerness in his curiosity, "Yeah, I heard you mention that to get to it you need to enter the Lost Ruins to find it."

The Guard nodded, "That is correct."

Julie said, "Why is it that people never return from those ruins?"

Knuckles looked at her and said, "You don't want to know. We just have to get out of there as soon as we grab the sword. Don't wander away from me or the path, and you will be fine."

"That doesn't make me feel very comfortable."

"It wasn't meant to," he answered.

Tobias looked at Knuckles when he realised that they were leaving and asked, "You are going to look for it?"

Knuckles looked back, "Yep, that's right, Tobias."

"Oh, what will I tell the Chief, or even worse, your father?"

"Tell him nothing," he waved as he approached the town's exit with Julie beside him, "I'll be back with the sword before sundown."

Tobias walked away holding his head, muttering, "The Guardian is going to skin me. On the other hand," he looked back at Knuckles who was out of ear shot, "his son might actually succeed and come home a hero."

Knuckles and Julie made it into the forest. Julie looked around, absorbing its warmth and beauty.

She inhaled with closed eyes behind him and said, "This isn't so bad, Knuckles. It's so nice here. I find it hard to believe that bad things happen to the people who come here."

Knuckles looked back at her and frowned, saying, "That's because you haven't gotten to the bad part yet. The beginning is deceptive. When you start to reach its core, then things will get bad."

"It will?" she asked, stopping looking at the tree tops.

He nodded, "Yeah, it will. If things get too bad, Julie, I want you to tell me so then I could take you back to the town."

"Okay, but only if you are going to stay with me," she said, looking at him in the eye.

"No..." he said back.

She leaned closer, "Yes. If you bring me back, I will just follow you."

He blinked, not used to seeing someone who had so much will-power. She had more spunk than the female Vampires in his village.

She walked beside him to get a bit more ahead and said, "Come on, Knuckles. Didn't you tell that Guard that you were coming back with the sword before sundown."

"Yeah, I did..."

"Then let's go," she smiled at him as she walked backwards in front of him.

He eyed her funny while she did that. She had her hands behind her back as she continued to smile at him.

"You know, Julie, it won't take much for you to trip over something and fall on your head."

"You worry too much," she twirled around and continued on ahead, "Besides, it's a just clear path."

He thought _yeah, but mortals are so weak. I don't want to see something like that get hurt._

She looked ahead and said, "Oh, look, a river. That would make an excellent landmark so then we could get back here and know that we are close to home."

"That's a pretty good idea."

She blushed from his comment, "Well, um," she cleared her throat, "yeah, I just remembered what my dad used to tell me when he was still alive. He used to be good at tracking things, and he loved exploring mountains and bushes..."

Her eyes were becoming teary.

"Julie...?" he noticed her face get that way.

She wiped away the teardrops, "What is it, Knuckles?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, it's fine. I just miss him. After he was gone, no one wanted me. My own mom wanted nothing to do with having a child because she wanted to spend more time with her friends, and her family didn't like that fact that she married my dad."

He stepped beside her, "And your dad's family?"

"They all died off because they were ordered to be executed. My dad barely escaped it because he ran away as a kid."

The Vampire creased his eyebrows as he frowned. A whole family was just knocked off like that, regardless of how innocent some of them were like her father.

She thought _I normally would not go telling some random person this story about myself, but this is another time where no one could say that I'm the last of Dad's family. Besides, something about Knuckles makes me believe that I could completely trust him with this, even if we were in my time._

He asked, "Why was your family sentenced like that?"

"My grandfather was part of a rebel group that wanted to over throw the king for being a tyrant."

"Was the king one?" he raised his eyebrows with interest.

"I have no idea, but I do know even to this day not many people like him. Some say that he oppressed a lot of people with too many taxes, while others say that he ruled with a gold heart that never overlooked the poor, the hungry, the orphaned, and the widowed. The King is obviously dead, but no one knows what became of the Princess. They saw that she disappeared during the last War. Even though the King is most likely gone, there were groups who remained loyal to him and continue to hunt down my dad's family."

He rubbed his head, "Your time period sounds hectic."

"It is. Compared to there, this place is paradise. I almost wish that I could stay here instead of going home."

He looked up at her, "Then why don't you?"

It made her lift her head up as she glanced back at him, surprised at the question. He really did not mind her there unlike her family members.

She asked, "You want me to stay?"

He nodded, "Yep. You're the first friend I ever had. No has ever talked to me the way you do. I like it. So...how about it, Julie?"

"I don't know. It's true. I won't have anything to lose if I stayed here, but this isn't my time. I'm not even sure if I'm supposed to be here or not."

Stepping in front of her, he smiled at her, "Of course you are meant to be here. Nothing ever happens by accident like my meeting you."

She was speechless by what he told her. There was almost nothing to argue about with him. There was no way their meeting was a mistake, even though they knew each other for less than a day. Something deep down her soul told her so.

Looking behind him, something caught her attention. It was a piece of some kind of off white structure poking out of the bushes.

"What's that, Knuckles?" she questioned, making him turn his head to look at it as well.

"I don't know."

She walked towards it and carefully tugged away the giant leaves hiding the rest of whatever sat there. The leaves' shadows departed the structure's stony exterior, leaving it exposed to the lukewarm light that gave it a stronger white colour. A couple wood bugs crawled over the dirty white corner's rough texture while the Echidnas' eyes examined its ancient designs.

Every carving was fading with age, but its hieroglyphics were plain to the observing eye.

Her hand gently touched it, brushing down the remaining crumbs of soil that hid part of the foreign language. It was becoming pretty clear where they stood as they stared at what was quite possibly part of the Dark Forest's Lost Ruins.

Knuckles said, "Interesting how much our ancestors liked their stories."

Her pink hair loosely clung onto her shoulder while she turned to him, "Why do you say that?"

He pointed to a couple symbols that danced over the crumbling monument, "This thing is describing how monsters liked to eat us, especially the Werewolves."

She instantly felt panic, "They are not here too, are they?"

Smirking after a short chuckle, he answered, "No. That was before this place became part of the sky."

"I don't think I follow."

"Years ago, our ancestors never got along with Werewolves. But we were becoming outnumbered, so the leaders then thought that making an island float with the power of a chaos emerald was a great way to hide from our enemies. Even to this day they have no clue where we are. So far anyways..."

"Is something wrong?"

"It's no big deal, but I sometimes think that this great idea will fail the moment one Werewolf finds this place. I mean, sure we are supposed to get rid of any that come here, but Werewolves are known for being strongly connected with each other."

She tilted her head, "How so?"

He glanced at her, "A Guard who fought them before has always told me that they usually seem to be aware when one of their own has fallen in battle, and they were always quick to figure out who is to blame because the guilty ones would be covered with their scent."

"Just because their scent is on someone doesn't always mean they did it."

"It's worked for the Werewolves so far. They don't care about who gets killed. All they want is to fight and eat."

"Right," she looked to the side where a path stood.

Beside the path on both sides were more ruins like that one, on the ground. Some were in worse shape than that one.

They walked on it as Julie looked back and forth at all of it sitting there. It was as though nothing touched anything for centuries. It made her wonder how long the Vampires might have stayed airborne, considering the possible age of everything.

She looked at one that had a carving of someone's face giving a horrified scream, which she thought was really dumb and ugly for a decoration. Its face was long, and three deformed hands with two wavy fingers held its face.

The sun also did not help keep the pleasantness in the air and wind. In fact, the way the trees blocked most of the light added fear and uncertainty into the mixture. The scenery would have seemed cool to her, but the eeriness just stayed there.

It was almost like a wild animal was watching them, or, more accurately, watching her. She continuously turned her head, and crept closer to the Vampire in front of her.

He was able to feel her every breath, but she did not think about it. All she thought of was what gave her the creeps.

After three more steps, she still did not feel at ease and bumped into something solid.

It startled her, and she looked up at Knuckles' face. They stared for a bit just as she realised that he bumped into him. He made no comment or smirked as he stretched over to a torch sitting on an ancient wall.

He looked back her and warned, "The forest will get darker faster than it does everywhere else."

The wall looked bare without its decorative light, and the shadows below the fire made everything glow. A shiver ran down Julie's body, and she clutched her shoulders. It was not only dark, but freezing. She went from a village in summer to a cold, lonely, damp, and odd forest.

As dark as it became, the night did not cloak all corners and statues. Somewhat visible figurines and faces were passed. Oddly enough, it made no sense why they made her feel worried.

Something big, warm, and firm snatched her hand, and she stared down at his hand as he hurried her down the path.

"What is…?" she stopped talking.

His face was focused on whatever lied in their way. He rushed through the long, stretching branches, and his paced quickened.

Something made him uptight. As much as she did not want to admit it, it was more than possible that they entered the worst part of the woods.

An unearthly sound that reminded her of a water drip in an echoing bowl flowed through the atmosphere. Except, it repeated in a laughing pattern. Actually, it was almost turning into a gurgling laughter.

 _"Give me your blood…give me your blood…I must have it…"_ it howled into the night.

She instantly held her breath, and her grip on Knuckles doubled. He still gave no reaction.

The gurgling gradually grew louder, and the breathing was heavier. It repeated the words like a recited chant.

A see-through grey figure floated out of a statue like a ghost. It had no eyes, but the mouth was stitched closed.

"What is that thing?" she asked in a freaked out voice, but without raising it too much for fear that the thing would hear her.

"A forest ghost," he calmly explained, still pulling her, "that's nothing compared to what is behind us."

"You don' t mean that thing that is saying that it wants our blood, do you?"

"Not our blood," he briefly glanced back at her, "It only wants yours."

"I guess that must be because I'm mortal isn't it?"

"Most likely," his purple eyes scanned the place as they hurried past everything.

A couple rocks would have made her fall onto her knees, but his grip was strong. Thanks to him, she never stumbled to the ground.

A few dragon flies playing tag fluttered away in disarray to avoid being hit by them. Through the trees, it was almost impossible to see, but a full moon's light shot through their twigs. It was definitely getting late.

Knuckles thought _that thing is still on our tail. I'd hate to see what will happen when it gets a hold of us, but it looks like we are about to hit a dead end. Normally, I wouldn't see a problem with fighting it, but I don't want Julie getting caught in the fight and then hurt. What kind of friend lets that happen?_

A dark corner stood in their way with no proper turns. Its top was covered in hanging leafy vines, and a couple boulders were next to it.

He turned around and pulled Julie behind him. She looked around and saw a lizard-like creature crawl along the rocks. It had a little bit of camouflage that turned into a greenish color as its snakelike eyes watched them.

 _"Your blood…blood…"_ it breathed, eyeing the pink Echidna hungrily.

"Knuckles..." Julie said, watching him, realising that he intended to fight that thing.

As frightening as it looked, she did not want him to go against it alone. He clutched onto her hand slightly more as though to assure her that it was going to be alright.

"Looks like we've found it," he told her, "that's the Ice Dragon that has been terrorizing the other Vampires."

"It is?"

It made her feel more worried about him and guilty that she was going to be unable to help him very well. She had to do something though. He was not about to fight the one thing his kind had fought with so many casualties.

It was not going to be much, but her karate skills were all she had to offer to help him. He was not going to be on his own.

Another step back was taken by him in hopes of giving himself more room to spring an attack. A twig under his foot snapped, and they fell through the ground. The shadow was not hiding just a corner. It was actually a large hole.

They rolled down the tunnel and landed on top of each other. Julie stared up his face, looking very red. In fact, both were of the shade of that colour.

"That was a really bad fall," Knuckles said as he sat up, still looking at her as she lied on the floor, "Are you okay, Julie?"

She did not say anything right away. Getting up, she cleared her throat, feeling nervous about being that close to him, "Uh, yeah."

"I didn't hurt you with that fall, did I?"

Standing up, he reached over to help her onto her feet.

She gently lowered her hand from his and shook her head, "No, I'm okay." She then frowned, "But what is really worrying me at the moment is what we are going to do about that creepy thing up there."

"Oh, yeah that, thing," he rubbed his chin, "I'll be back in a minute. You wait here."

He turned around and started climbing up the tunnel.

She said, following him, "No chance. I'm not leaving you alone there. I can already see that you want to go fight that thing."

His purple eyes watched her, "Yep. That's right." After stopping for a second, he smirked at her as she started to climb, "You're not like other girls, are you, Julie?"

Looking at where her hands clutched onto the rocky wall, she said, "No, not really. I guess you say that I'm a bit of an oddball." She then showed strong determination, "But that never bothers me."

"What does?" he raised one eyebrow.

She had to think for a minute, "I guess it is the same thing that bothers you, not being able to do anything while it causes everyone to suffer."

His big hand touched her shoulder, "Then I guess I've got no choice but to let you come with me and take down that Ice Dragon."

It surprised her that he said that, but it made her smile, "Thanks, Knuckles."

"Don't mention it. I'm just going to have to watch your back."

"Same to you," she said back as she continued to scale the dirt slope.

Just as they were about to resurface, a glint caught her attention. It came from somewhere in the trees. The moon was still giving its light through the overhead branches. Had it been morning, she would have assumed that the sun reflected off something metal.

Something gave off light of its own.

Knuckles cracked his fingers after he pulled himself out of the hole and said, "Alright, let's take of this."

He punched a tree, which knocked it over, and grabbed it. Julie blink, watching him in surprise. She had never seen anyone knock over a perfectly healthy maple tree with a single blow, and then singlehandedly lift it with one hand. He did not even look sore or as if he was struggling.

The weight was nothing to him. He then chucked it at the Dragon, which quickly leapt over the trunk. It struck the soft soil and was halfway in the ground. The impact rattled a couple firs, making them shed their needles as their branches shook. A couple loose ones tumbled onto the ground around the splintered log.

Julie stood still as Knuckles ran ahead, saying, "Come on, Julie, before he comes this way."

She still stood there, staring at the log he threw, and he came back.

He grabbed her arm and dragged her as she began to point and look at him, saying, "That...that...was a tree."

"Yep," he looked around used his foot to push a stationary rock out of the ground.

"But you threw it...like a beach ball..." she was looking at him with so much disbelief.

As he put his foot on the boulder, he bit his bottom lip, finding her reaction funny, "That was nothing."

She looked at him, thinking _'nothing_ ' _he says..._

He kicked the boulder which whacked the Dragon in the head before it came within three feet of them. The impact of the blow had sent the monster flying. When it fell into the far off trees, another glare caught Julie's attention.

She looked in that light's direction.

Knuckles brushed his hands, saying, "That was fun. Hey, Julie, is everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm just wondering what it is."

"What is?" he tilted his head at her, trying to look at whatever she saw.

She pointed to the trees, "There is something bright that way. There is no way the moon is causing that glare."

"Huh," he gave it another look for a couple seconds, "Well, we will never know if we keep guessing. Let's check it out, we're out here anyways."

"Right," she followed him as he pushed the branches out their way.

He constantly looked back to make sure she was okay. She did not realise that he was doing that, and was only looking around at the tall, leaning trees.

There were even fire flies that added to the place's mystery and suspense. She remembered legends about fireflies hanging out in supernatural places where the spirits haunted.

A heavy wind howled through the forest, carrying whatever lied in its pattern. Her purple eyes watched the leaves turn and flutter in its grasp as they flew to the spy.

"So, Knuckles," she asked as she closely followed, "What did you mean by people never coming back when they come here?"

He rubbed the back of his head, "There are some things better left unsaid."

"Why's that? Is it really that bad?"

"Kind of," he looked back at her, "If you really want to know, don't say I didn't warn you about this sounding a bit disturbing. As you saw, Vampires are not always evil or always bloodthirsty."

She nodded, "Yeah, I've noticed that. I was actually surprised when I had found out what everyone was since they didn't exactly try to eat me."

"Yeah, well, there is another side of us that can be on the creepy side. When some of us get infected by a disease, it goes to their head, and makes them go crazy."

"So, these are crazy Vampires that we are dealing with here?"

"Let's hope we will not. If you get bit by one, you either turn into a Vampire or go insane if you are already one."

"That's for sure."

The glare they were following was close by, and came out of a cave. Knuckles paused and seemed to have been almost guarding her from it.

He looked at her and at the cave's entrance. His hand slipped into hers and tightened around it.

She looked down at it and looked at his eyes.

He told her, "I hope I didn't scare you too much with that bit of information about the insane Vampires."

She shook her head, "No, I'm glad you told me. At least I definitely know not to wander more than I did. It's sometimes better to know what you are up against."

He nodded and pulled her along. As they entered, she stayed close to him, and as it became even darker, Knuckles felt her hand squeeze his. He gave her a light tug to direct her to stay beside him. They walked side-by-side, trailing the light's source.

As Julie observed their surroundings, she noticed some faint drawings, depicting something. Unfortunately, the lack of good lighting prevented her from seeing anything too detailed.

They walked under an archer at which she did a double take. Beneath their feet was plenty of rubble and smashed pieces. It was hard to determine what they were once from, but as her foot brushed past a couple solid tiles, she began to wonder if they were actually walking in a cave.

Knuckles did not say anything but continued down the dark path that was lit by the strange light.

After venturing a couple more turns, they came upon a place that illuminated by a bluish glow. There were even blue fireflies hovering around there.

Much greenery grew along the rocks while the only trees were weeping willows that had some branches so long that they touched a mirror that Julie quickly realised was a lake. The still water never budged in all its grace and wonder.

As they stood there, Julie looked at everything above, below, and around her. Unlike the rest of the forest, she could have almost felt at home there. Surely such dangerous and creepy woods could not have held such a treasure within its claws.

Standing around them, covered in vines and moss were twelve giant statues. They each looked like female Echidnas, but aside from that each one was completely different.

One was of a girl holding a book under her arm while she kept a rose by her heart. Another shielded her face with a fan while wearing a veil over her head. Her hair was adorned with blue sapphires that seemed to glow. Beside that one was a woman taking a flute to her lips. On both sides of her head were violets.

As they passed each of them, Julie felt strange around them. It was almost as though they were watched.

Knuckles finally spoke, "We were not always Vampires." She looked at him as he spoke, "Our ancestors were pure Mobian. It's kind of funny. According to Dad, Chief Montezuma's great-great-grandfather angered a Celestial Maiden who was accompanied with a Wizard named Augustine. Augustine cursed our entire tribe to thirst for the blood of our own kind."

"That's terrible. An entire tribe?" she breathed.

He looked at her, "Yeah, it is terrible. But I'll let you onto a secret about every monster and fey you will ever see. We were all descended or were once Human or Mobian. Wizards are the only ones who are born with powers."

"Huh, I wouldn't have known that one, considering there are none where I'm from, or many Echidnas for that matter. I mean we still have some, but it's still hard to find any."

"That's kind of weird. I never thought our species would get like that."

She rubbed her arm and shrugged, "It was probably because of our last war. The whole population went down after it."

"That would do it," Knuckles walked in between the statues for a better look around.

She followed him with a questioning face, "What's with all of these statues?"

He stopped moving and stood in the moss and tall grass, pointing at the giant stone figurines, "These were the original guardians of the island. They were once alive, but remember what I said about our species being cursed?"

Julie nodded, and he said, "According to the story passed on to everyone, Wizard Augustine destroyed them all with a single curse. These statues were probably made to commemorate them. I wonder why they are down here and not where people would see them. It's not like I care about anything historical, believe me, I find it really boring stuff, but this is not making any sense. Then again, we are technically still in the Dark Forest. Nothing here makes sense."

An echo as smooth as silk and as beautiful as crystal said, " _That is where you are wrong, young one. Ah me, the memory is so fresh as though it was yesterday._ "

It startled the both of them, and Knuckles quickly pushed Julie behind him, holding out a defensive fist, saying, "Who are you? Come out where I could see you."

" _Us you can see if you but open your eyes._ "

"Okay, you are making no sense."

Julie looked around and asked, "You mean we could see you?"

" _That is correct. For thousands of years, we were forced to live here hidden from our loved ones. Little by little as time moved on, they have no doubt forgotten or have passed on with broken hearts. Our hearts, however, remained pure despite the island's darkness. Our powers of foresight, however, see the curse uplifted through the hands of our people's last hope. His name we know not. His trials are to be many, and he is to suffer greatly._ "

Knuckles looked annoyed and said, "I still don't get it. Think that you could, maybe not talk...in riddles?" He gave an unsure expression as he waited for a response.

" _Very well, then. Our powers have protected us from an ancient power that changed our kind into monsters, but that came at a price. The protection spell required us to take on the form of these stone statues. It is through our power that the enchanted tribe does not completely give into the darkness, but our power is slowly waning. The cracks in our statue forms are proof of that fact._ "

Knuckles shook his head and said, as he tightened a fist, "Is there anything I could do?"

" _Ah, but there is. Having Guardian blood running through your veins could be put to your advantage in a special task, but remember, if you accept it, you and an ancient power must become one. And being one with it means that your life is to never resume what it once was. You must rebuild it and then one day cure our people of this darkness. It is the same darkness which has been turning some of your people insane._ "

He nodded, "Then that is a risk I'm willing to take."

"Did I hear correctly?" a soft voice asked behind him.

Both he and Julie looked up where a fourteen year old girl hovered and glowed white. The child was donned in sky, blue tribal robes as hope was written over her face.

She lifted her head with her hands neatly folded as though she was a child wishing for happiness on Christmas morning, saying, "My name is Tikal. After I had passed on, my spirit has remained here, watching over everyone. You truly intend to save us from the curse?"

Knuckles looked at her, noticing at once it was just a kid when he said, "Let's just say that I've had enough of sitting around, watching as my people suffer. For once, I want it to end."

She smiled, "That is so heroic of you. And because of that, your name will be forever remembered."

"I'd much rather that it isn't," he told her with a straight face.

Tikal became confused, "But being remembered for a good deed is the only way I could think of rewarding you for this noble task. Even though my power is the ancient power that the twelve Guardians," she motioned to the twelve statues, "said that you must combine with your powers in order to bring an end to our curse, I somehow don't think that will enough for me to do, since it will still be you doing everything."

He smirked, "Heh, no worries. You are already doing plenty, especially since you have spent more than one life time here, protecting us. I don't want any kind of reward."

Little bits of her worrying slipped away, revealing her relieved smile, and she happily tilted her head, laughing, "Thank you so much." Her lively, diamond blue eyes opened, "If that's the case, then I will give you the power that has been promised with nothing to fear. I could already tell that you are a very reliable guy who will keep his word. And if you don't think you are that kind of person, then don't worry. Sooner or later you will become that person because it is deep down within you."

"Hey, don't read too much into it. I just want to help."

"That is precisely my point. You want to help," the lake began to glow in its center where something began to rise out of it, "Which is why, I now and forever bestow you with my sword." The sword, glowing blue rose above the water. Water droplets rolled down its hilt, which had ancient carvings on it, "It bears no name, but its power is great. It's the last of my power transformed into an object." Knuckles and Julie stared at it, "Originally crafted to fight evil, others besides the noble can wield it, but using it will come with a price. Let not random hands borrow its strength."

Julie looked at Knuckles worried, but he smiled and said, "Well, I can't let the curse destroy any more people. I will do it."

The sword floated into his hands where the glow instantly sucked into its blade. A light next appeared around them until they only saw its blinding brightness.

When the light dissipated, they were once again in Knuckles' village.

Knuckles still held onto the magic sword, which he lowered to see where they were. Tikal must have sent them back home.

Locke called out, "Knuckles, there you are. It has been over six hours. Where have you been? You better have a good explanation."

Knuckles' father walked in front of them with a stern expression as he crossed his arms.

Knuckles lifted his sword and said, "Well, Dad, it so happens that I do. I have the legendary sword from Princess Tikal. I actually got to see her, and she said—"

Locke snatched it, "Nonsense, you are but a boy. On top of which, Tikal is not only a myth, but if she were real, she'd be dead."

His son growled at Locke for taking away Tikal's gift, "It was her spirit. The Dark Forest is full of them, and she happened to be one of them."

Locke's eyes widened, looking angry enough to frighten Julie, "The Dark Forest? You went there? I distinctly recall ordering you to not go there under any circumstances."

"I went there to find if there was a way to stop that dragon. I even got to fight it without the sword," Knuckles eyed the sword and tried to snatch it back, but his father moved it and handed to Montezuma who stood beside him.

Montezuma looked at him, holding onto the sword, and he said, "A sword is a sword nonetheless, Locke. It will go to my men where it will be used properly."

Knuckles narrowed his eyes at the chief and walked over there to grab it.

Locke grabbed him and said, "For once in your life, listen to me, boy. You are too young to fight and are not done training."

Julie looked back and forth, thinking _oh boy, you could cut the tension here with a knife_.

Knuckles looked at the sword which Chief Montezuma was already handing over to one of his men.

With narrowed eyes, he thought _it looks like I'm going to have to take that sword back. If I replace it with a fake sword, no one would realise that it is missing. Then I will try to find that Dragon again. I know I can beat it. I did not too bad relying on my own strength._

He stood up and glared at his father as he said, "Come on, Julie. Let's go inside."

Julie followed him, "Um...okay, Knuckles."

When they were out of ear shot, Knuckles looked back again to look at the men who were examining the new sword.

One Guard held it up and said, "Magnificent. Its metal is not like what we use."

He handed it over to another man who agreed, "It's not iron, silver, or anything that we mine for that matter. Its weight is very light for a sword."

The Guard, Tobias eyed it from the back of the crowd, leaning against his sword. He lifted his head upon seeing someone lift it.

He said in awe, "The Princess' Sword...So it is true...That boy actually did it."

One of the Guards looked back at him and said, "What are you going on about, old timer?"

Tobias nodded at the sword's direction, "The ancient blade which a man named Mephilis singlehandedly destroyed hundreds without effort. What you possess was once Princess Tikal's treasure. Within it is her power."

The Guard laughed, "Hah, looks like age has rotted your mind, old man. That's a whole lot of..."

Knuckles stepped in between them and said, after grabbing the Guard's shirt, "You were saying something?"

The Guard became pale as he stuttered, "M-Master Knuckles...I...uh…"

"Respect your elders. Tobias has seen more battles than you and is of a higher rank than you."

He dropped the Guard who crawled back into the crowd of men.

Tobias said, looking at the Guardian's son, who snorted at the young Guard, "I can't thank you enough, Knuckles."

Knuckles looked over his shoulder at him, "It's nothing. I just can't stand people like him opening their big mouth. You were right about that sword though. My dad thought that I shouldn't have it, and made it so then someone else could have it."

Julie shook her head and said, "That's not fair. After all that work, it should be you using that sword, Knuckles."

He nodded, "Yeah, that's right...but I already know what I'm going to do about it." The Guardian's son looked at Tobias, "I'm going to need to borrow a sword. Do you know where they keep the spare ones for the Guards?"

Tobias turned and motioned to the building in the back, saying to Knuckles, "They are in the barracks. There is a chest full of extra ones, but if you are going to do what I suspect you are about to do, young Master, I hope you have studied that Magic Sword well. Legend has it that it is a uniquely crafted weapon made from the hills in the ancient Lost Ruins. Its nameless metal is the only kind that is fully compatible with magic. Any other material would take years to turn into a magical tool."

"True, but I'll be gone before they know it."

Julie glanced at the both of them and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Both turned to her, and Knuckles told her, "I'm just going to switch the Magic Sword with another while I take it to fight the Ice Dragon."

"I see, but what will you do with it after you are done with it? Tikal made it sound like not many people should be using it."

He shrugged, "I don't know..." the red Echidna smiled, "Tell them I don't know what they are talking about?"

"I—I somehow doubt that'll work end well," she sweat-dropped while looking at him, thinking _would faking ignorance even work on his dad?_

Knuckles said, "Come on, Julie. Let's check out those barracks."

Tobias chuckled before leaving them, and he muttered, "Careful out there, youngsters."

Julie looked at the hand Knuckles held out for her until she took it, saying, "Alright."

She thought as they walked that way, hand-in-hand _I hope, for Knuckles' sake, this idea works. After seeing the way he fought with just his strength, I really don't feel scared at all. In fact, it made me more secure than I had ever been, but why? What part about him makes everything so alright?_

She then felt him pull her a bit closer, and he turned to look at her, "Everything okay, Julie?"

His calm purple eyes intently stared into hers and were filled with so much meaning and depth. Perhaps she was reading too far into the gaze, but her soul felt open to it. No physical barrier seemed to block his soul's window from seeing the kind of person she was.

Unable to really speak with her tongue in such a knot after being caught off guard, she nodded, "Uh huh."

"Hmm…" he watched her suspiciously with narrowed purple eyes.

Her cheeks filled with bright colour, and as though hoping to cover it, her hand reached for her pinkish purple hair. A couple strands were tucked behind an ear while he continued to move.

She thought _what's wrong with me? All he had to do was give me that stare. I even forgot about all of my worry while he was that close._

The young lady watched the back of his head, noticing how his red hair was tugged by the wind, flicking it in its direction.

Her purple eyes glanced down where he tightly held her hand. It felt so warm and kind all at once.

With that, she thought _Knuckles...what did I ever do to deserve a friend so kind?_

She felt him stop, making her almost collide with his back. His hand rubbed his chin as he analysed the building standing before them, blocking any sunlight.

"Are we there?" she asked, moving beside him while he looked a little deep in thought.

He lowered his hand, "Yep, we just have to see where we could find a way in without being caught by them," he pointed ahead with his arms crossed.

She peeked around the corner. Two men guarded the entrance, and one other paced the area in front of them. On top of that, there were bound to be more once they go down the path leading there.

"Do we need to break in, Knuckles?"

"Well, normally, having the Guardian's son waltz inside would be no issue, but everything I do and everywhere I go is report to Dad. If he gets whiff of me being there at a time like this, I will have even less time to get out of here with Tikal's Magic Sword."

"That makes sense," she then looked to the side.

Knuckles cracked his fists and said, "Well, time to get in there."

He crouched down and picked up a rock. After tossing it up and down, he hurled it at the barrack's wall. It bounced off the wooden surface and fell into a bush.

One Guard pointed, and he and one of the entrance Guards ran down that way.

Knuckles grumbled in annoyance, "That almost worked."

Julie ducked down to pick something up and threw it. The rock she held flew at the man's head, knocking him unconscious.

Knuckles looked at her, "Not bad throw. You're not by chance part of the military are you?"

"No, why?"

He shrugged, "You throw like a guy."

She playfully pushed him, "What's that supposed to mean?"

He would have laughed were they not trying to keep it quiet.

"Let's go before he comes to or before they find him," he pulled open the gate.

She grabbed him, "Just minute, Knuckles, we can't go in like that."

The mortal girl dragged him away as he shot her a questionable face, "Wait, what?"

"You can't risk being caught, right?"

"That is the general idea..." he still did not look like he understood where she was going with her logic. She reached up after letting go and tossed something onto him. He teased, "What's this, a towel?"

He lifted it more to get a better look, and he still gave her a funny look as she explained, pulling a black one over her head, tying it, "It's a cloak. I saw them hanging on this tree before you threw the first rock. At least that way, you wouldn't have to worry about anyone recognising you in case you are seen."

He smiled as he fiddled with the latch that tied his cloak together. It draped over his back and perfectly hid his identity once it was pulled over his head. Only a couple pieces of his red hair stuck out of the hood.

He then grabbed her arm, saying, "Okay, we need to hurry and get this finished."

"Um, okay..." she felt red again as they were pulled.

 _He probably thinks I have a dumb idea,_ she thought. _I could see it in his face. At least those Guards still seem occupied._

"I will have to say though," he said, making her look up at him as she was pulled, "with this black colour, I'm definitely going to be hard to see even if those guys spot us. It will give us an even greater chance to make a get away with no trouble. I should use this handy disguise idea of yours more often."

It made her face soften as she looked at him, thinking _Knuckles..._

They got there, and Knuckles rechecked the area for any close by Guards.

"Okay, let's go," he grabbed her arm and pulled her with him.

They hurried to the entrance at the end of the walkway and pushed the doors. As they closed shut, the sun's light was swallowed by the room's shadows.

Knuckles walked ahead and looked back at her, "Stay right there, Julie."

She nodded, "Okay."

He went further into the barracks and looked at anything that looked like a chest. So far three were filled with daggers, spears, shields, or armor, but none were filled any type of swords.

Julie peeked through the doors behind her and saw the guards coming to investigate the unconscious Guard. One of them picked up the rock she threw earlier to analyze it.

She sucked in her breath and looked at Knuckles, whispering, "The Guards came back."

He nodded and quickly surveyed everything. The right chest had to be there somewhere.

Up on a shelf, covered in cobwebs, was a chest.

He pulled a stool to climb it and stretched for the old, wooden case. Taking it into his hands, he lifted the lid. Fortunately, the well-oiled hinged made no real sound, and he was also fortunate it was the chest of swords.

He reached into it and quickly grabbed the one that held the closest resemblance to the Magic Sword.

Julie ran over to him and said, "Knuckles, they are coming in here."

Quickly looking at her, he said, "We'll have to hide." He jumped down and lifted a ragged piece of cloth, "Over here."

She crawled under it, and he went in after her.

Four of the Guards entered the room. They were talking about how weird it was that one of their buddies was struck on the head with a well-aimed rock.

One said, "You don't think a spy is trying to come in here, do you?"

His friend turned to him, "Ridiculous. They are more trained than that. A real spy would pretend to be one of us," making a fist with a smile, he punched his other buddy's shoulder, "and then hit you when you least expect it."

His buddy rubbed his shoulder, looking at it while the fourth one said, "Have you even seen a spy before?"

"No, I just happen to know these things. Call it intuition," and with that the Echidna speaking nodded.

Knuckles gave a funny face thinking _oh brother..._

Pointing at a hole in the wall behind them, Knuckles looked at Julie. She answered with a nod, and they crawled in the back behind the stuff.

One of the guards was laughing as he walked by saying, "That's just like you, Ben, always the target but never the attacker." He was playing with a spear, twirled it around, "You know, one of these days, I've got to teach you a thing or two about good-old fashioned fighting."

Ben said, looking worried at him, "Careful, Lance, that sword is very sharp. You could cut someone with it."

Lance made a small glare with a little bit of gritted teeth showed, "How did you even join us?" After turning to his timid friend, he said as he held up his staff, "This here is what real men use. It's much more lightweight than our normal staffs but could cut through a tree with a single blow."

"Kind of like what the Guardian's son used when he..."

"Stop bringing that up!" the man snapped, "He didn't beat me. I only let him win because his father's the current Guardian."

"Uh...sure thing, Lance, although, you sure looked awfully tired and upset for someone who allowed someone to beat him."

Lance glared at him as he loudly said, "Ever heard of a thing called an act?"

"Is that what you call it?"

Julie looked up at Knuckles who she was crawling beside, and she whispered, "You fought him?"

"Yeah, three times," he answered as they crawled out of the hole.

"Three times?" her hand was held by him as he helped her back onto her feet.

He looked at her as he held onto her hands to keep her from falling over, "Let's just say that he has got a lot of pride issues, but that's never bothered me before."

The look in his eyes made her lower her guard more than it did earlier. Her jaw lowered a bit as her cheeks blushed.

Turning her head, she said, "Um, I think we should probably go before someone sees us. You wanted to make the switch and get out of here fast, right?"

She had let go of his hands, and he followed her looking like a lost puppy, which she did not realise because did not see him.

After they climbed over a wall, they walked on a path in the village.

As they moved, she thought _my heart is pounding so much. What's wrong with me? Aren't we just friends?_

She looked back at Knuckles and saw how he was watching the lake they passed, not aware of being seen.

Knuckles said, "You know, Julie, you could tell me what is bothering you."

"What makes you think something is wrong?"

"Because whenever you said everything is okay, I could tell that you are lying. Your scent gives that away."

She then froze, thinking _oh, that's right. He could tell when someone's lying based on their blood. This is bad. How am I supposed to tell him that I don't understand why I have been acting so funny around him? That would make it sound like I'm starting to like him. Is that what is going on?_

Knuckles looked at her carefully and thought for a minute until he said, "You can tell me when you are ready, but remember, I'm not a very patient guy."

"Thanks, Knuckles. Don't worry. I will tell you someday."

"Sure thing, Julie," he walked next to her, holding onto her hand again.

They got to the village where there was a large group of villagers gathered together watching something. Whatever it was it had really gotten their interest.

Knuckles stopped, muttering, "Wonder what's got them so hyped up?"

Julie said as she stood behind him, "Maybe someone already defeated the dragon."

He went closer and moved his way past everyone else, saying, "It's possible. We were gone for a while."

When he got to see what everyone was excited about his eyes grew wide.

A Guard was struggling to stand up, looking drained. He held the Magic Sword, huffing and puffing.

Dark circles were under his eyes, and he said, "I won't give up. This sword is mine. I can, and I will master its powerful blade."

Knuckles gave the man a funny look and watched as the Chief walked in front of him and grabbed his shoulders, saying, "Do not give up, friend! Our survival depends on you not letting Tikal's sword defeat you. Only the strongest of our kind may wield it."

Gritting his teeth, the Guard trembled as he said, "I—I'm—I'm…I'm sorry, Chief, I—don't have what it takes to..."

His eyes rolled back, and he fell onto his knees. The sword banged on the ground when his grip loosened. No longer able to hold onto his own weight, he collapsed.

Chief Montezuma looked down at the man and said, "Weakling."

Knuckles' eyes shook in uncertainty as he stared at the scene and thought _what's going on here?_

Montezuma glanced up and saw Knuckles gawking at him.

Giving an even harder gaze, he turned to the people, "We are facing hard times, my people. I'm not one for fairy tales about a princess with supernatural powers, but when I looked at the handle, I saw it shared the same symbol as the one in the story. And as we know with the story comes the fact that only the strong could use it."

Knuckles quickly spoke up, "That might have been how it used to be, but there are some things that you don't know about how that sword functions that I just realised."

"You might be Locke's boy, Knuckles, but you lack experience."

Knuckles looked around at all of the older Guards who were giving him the same look Montezuma was.

He thought _that figures. Every Guard here doesn't want to take advice from someone younger than him._

Montezuma turned around to talk to the men, saying, "Now, why don't you go back to your training while we take care of that Dragon? We are running out of time."

Still not moving, Knuckles yelled, "Don't you even want to hear what I have to say? I'm saying this for your own good."

The Chief coldly looked back at him, "Very well then, you may speak, but make it quick."

"Tikal's ghost warned me to not let just anybody use it."

"Explain" he skeptically eyed the Guardian's son.

Looking around, Knuckles said, "She warned me that even though it packs a punch, using it will come at a price. I had no idea what it was, but after seeing what it has been doing at that man, I have a good idea of what that is. When I saw him using it, I felt something strange. It's a sword that steals your energy."

The Chief thoughtfully looked at him for a minute, "Then I will decree that we will have find even stronger men to use it."

"Are you crazy? That will only kill them."

"Then what do you propose, Knuckles?"

Knuckles held out his hand for the sword in Montezuma's hand, "Let me use it. I'm the one who found it and brought it here. It's my responsibility to use it."

The Chief looked down at it, "And endanger the Guardian's son, our people's heir? That's irresponsible. It will not be done."

Knuckles stood there silently watching as the Chief walked away to speak with the others about who was going to be next.

The Echidna thought as his face darkened and became unreadable _more people will use that sword_. He glanced at the unconscious man _and then more will die._ His gritted teeth were showing _this is my fault. I wasn't fast enough to come back here._

He tightened his fist and looked up, eyeing the next person who tried it. Julie looked at the man as he collapsed and held her mouth in horror.

Knuckles steadily walked over there as Montezuma called out, "Who will be the next man willing to risk his life for our community?"

A look of determination marked Knuckles' face as he walked past some men who quickly became quiet when they saw the way he walked with his hands in his pockets.

Montezuma said, "Now who? Who will step up and take what is to save us from the beast?"

"I will," Knuckles said behind him.

"Wha..." the Chief turned to look at him, "You...I already told you that you are not able. This is a job for men."

Knuckles narrowed his eyes at him for a minute, which was long enough for frighten him. The Guardian's son reached and grabbed it, still glaring at Montezuma, saying, "Then that is more reason to do it." The Chief gawked at him after he took it, "Come on, Julie, let's go fight that thing and finish it off."

Montezuma thought, blinking _what just happened?_

One of the Guards whispered to him, "Uh, Chief, he just took the sword. Aren't you going to do something about it?"

Another said, "I think it might be a little too late. He already left the village gates."

"He took it like it was nothing," the Chief muttered. He then held his head saying, "Arragh, his father will skin me alive for letting him take it so easily."

While he said that another man beside him patted his back saying, "Easy there, Chief. I'm sure it will turn out okay."

"How could you say that? His father has always entrusted me with everyone's safety, especially where his son is concerned."

Straightening up, he continued to look at the direction that Knuckles went.

One of the other men asked, "Do you want us to return him here?"

The Chief quickly said, "No!" Sweat beaded down his neck, "Did you not see the look of fury in Knuckles' face? He is to not be trifled with at the moment."

He thought looking back there _I was never so filled with fear before like I was when he looked at me just now. Perhaps it is the chaos energy that Locke mentioned was within him the day he was born. Unlike the past Guardians, he was born with his unique chaos force as though he himself produced it. Only I, Locke, and the boy are aware of this fact._

Down the path Knuckles and Julie took, Knuckles kept his guard up as he walked carrying the Magic Sword.

Its heavy blade was imbedded into the ground as he sat cross-legged beneath a maple tree.

Julie sat next to him and asked, "What is it, Knuckles?"

"They say that the fastest way for a Dragon to find you is to let its sense of smell track do the work."

"You want it to find you? I'm no expert on things like Dragons, but I guess they must have good senses of smell, huh?"

Knuckles nodded, smirking, "That's right. You're a pretty smart girl, Julie. Have you ever been in a fight before?" As he asked, he held onto his sword's hilt more and fiddled with it while the blade stayed in the soil.

She looked at her feet that shuffled in the ground as she sat against the tree's bark. The wind rushed by, making her pinkish purple hair flutter as though it tried to pull her into the sky.

"No, not really," her chin rested on her knees that she pulled closely to herself, "Even though people are not the nicest to me in school, I started to not really care what they thought about me. I just don't react."

He rubbed the back of his head, "Not quite that kind of fight. I mean with things like monsters and thugs."

She popped her head up, blushing red while looking surprised, "Uh, no...I don't exactly have monsters in my time, and I've never actually had to deal with a thug."

"I see. Well, since we have some time to spare, how's about I show you a couple moves?"

She blushed even more, "You want to teach me?"

He eagerly nodded.

Smiling, she touched his hand, telling him, "Sure."

"Okay then," he stood up, helping her onto her feet.

While they were there, he told her, "Stand with your feet apart, but whatever you do don't stand so then you could be easily pushed over by something." He looked at her, "You are doing it wrong."

He walked behind her, and his feet tapped the ground where he wanted her to stand, telling her, "Come over here. Your legs are too far apart." His hands reached for hers, "And keep your hands into front. Make sure they are ready to protect you in case someone tries to hit you."

"Thanks," she said, trying to look serious as she looked forward.

Time passed, and they were on the field. Knuckles had his hands behind his head while they were lying down in the tall grass and daisies. Both were pretty tuckered out from the workout.

Julie said, "You know what, Knuckles?"

"Hmm?" he lifted his head to look at her since she was lying in higher spot on the grass hill than him.

"I've never felt this much at home in a while."

He perked up and sat up more, "So you'll stay?"

The way he sat made him like quite energetic, and Julie sat up as well, "Yeah, I think I will."

He grabbed her, "That's great, Julie."

"I'm glad that makes you..." he pulled her into a hug, "...happy..."

It took her by surprise. She began to calm and fell into his hug. His head rubbed against hers as he looked down at her. It made her heart pound more. The feeling she had whenever they had certain encounters returned to her.

She wished to stay that way forever.

There would be no more relatives telling her they despised her and no more people judging her for no reason. It was just going to be her and Knuckles, her one and only true friend. He was the only one she was able to count on so far. For that she felt blessed. Life for once seemed to be so blissful.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to hear you say that," he said.

"I thought it over and realised that it would have been crazy to not come back. Who is to say that I was not supposed to come here? It was not as though I tried to be here."

She then remembered about taking the sword from the barracks and said, "I guess there was no point to grabbing that other sword earlier, huh?"

"What this?" he lifted it from where he stored it on his back. He handed it to her, "I will have to admit, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it since it was obvious that I didn't need to leave a phoney behind after all." The Echidna looked at her again, "Since it won't be of use to me, I want you to have it."

"Me? But I don't...know how to fight..."

He pushed it into her hands and made them curled around it, "Then I will teach you. I saw the way you fought. You are a natural fighter, Julie. I will guide you the whole way. Think of it as a means of self-defence. When this is over, I will give you real fighting lessons."

She lifted the weapon and looked at it. Lowering it, she saw the way he looked at her with satisfaction and said, "Thank you, Knuckles."

She began to frown and said, "But I think, I'd much rather have you use this instead of that sword from Tikal."

He asked her, "How come?"

"It absorbs your energy. I don't know what I will do if you..."

"Hey," he touched her cheek, "everything will turn out okay. You'll see. I've got lots of energy to spare. Trust me."

"But you could..."

He smiled as he pulled her close, letting their foreheads touch, "I won't die. There is something about me that I think you should know. It's the reason why I doubt I will ever be effected by it the way those guys were."

"What do you mean?" she looked curious, but weak in the knees at the same time from how close they were.

"Remember how I told you that I find drinking blood gross?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Blood is an essential for Vampires to live. It could be blood from anything, but here's the thing. I'm...different..."

"How so?" she tilted her head.

He rubbed the back of his head, "I'm a...mutant...I was born close to the shrine where we hide the Master Emerald. When that happened, my blood was naturally flowing with its energy. Blood actually made me sick as a kid, and unlike the others, I'm able to eat the fruit and vegetables here."

"You can't eat blood?" she thought _his diet sounds a lot like a normal person._

He shook his head, "Nope. I thought that maybe you should know, since you are my friend and all. It's a secret that Dad made me promise to keep, so if anyone asks, you don't know anything about this, alright?"

"Sure, Knuckles. I wouldn't dream of giving away something like this to anyone. Secrets are really important things to keep."

He hugged her again, "Thanks, Julie."

"No problem, Knuckles," she began to smile.

The vision of the past next showed the dragon coming out of the bushes. In the vision, Knuckles jumped in front of Julie and used his sword to shield her from the thing's fangs. It backed its head and looked down at the two.

It crawled to get around them, but Knuckles kept his sword in between them and never showed the dragon his back.

The Dragon snapped at him, making the Echidna jump back. He quickly swung his sword five times to make it give him more space.

That only worked until it made a swift turn around, using its tail to hit them. Knuckles had his arm protectively in front of Julie to shield her as she clung onto her sword.

She then blinked and looked down while the wind from the continuously spinning tail pulled at her hair. In her hands was the sword from Knuckles. She thought _oh wait, I still have this. I should probably put this to good use._

With two hands, she lifted it when the tail came again. It scratched it, making the dragon cry out in pain.

As the wind dropped after it retracted its tail, Knuckles stood up a bit straighter and repositioned his sword.

 _There's an opening_ he thought. _Now I can strike._

His sword was lifted to deliver another blow, and Knuckles crouched down a bit for momentum.

Julie thought, watching him get ready to move _is it just me, or is it glowing? It must be absorbing his energy._

Her hands fell to her sides as panic overcame her while she thought watching him run to it _I really hope this will work. He did say that he had lots of energy naturally being made inside him._

She tightened a fist _this has got to work._

The energy in his sword was unleashed as he swung it, and it disintegrated the monster. Julie ran over to him and he laughed, saying, "It worked. I think this sword can break a curse, and I'm going to use it to free everyone from it on this island."

Julie sat next to him, "So, it didn't do anything to you?"

"Nope," he answered.

"Are you sure about that?"

He stood up, "Yeah, in fact, I have never felt this good about a fight in a long time. Let's go home and tell Dad about it Julie."

She smiled even more, "Okay, Knuckles."

"Man, he and Montezuma are going to flip when they hear that I killed it." He then bent down to pick up something from the ground, "I'll even bring along a souvenir to prove it."

"What is it?"

He smirked as he carried it at his side, "A dragon horn."

"I guess there will really be no arguing about it afterwards huh?"

"There had better not be. If they do argue, I will just have to drag them out here and show them the remains. It is either that or I will just fight another one."

"If you do that, I'll come with you."

"No problem. I would never ask for another partner."

She stopped a little bit, "Partner?"

"Yeah, a partner," he repeated, "You're strong, learn fast, and have more faith in me than anyone in the village. I'm really grateful for that. Of course, it is all up to you. I wouldn't want to force you or anything."

Her arm linked with him, "I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Then I guess it is settled."

They headed back to the village. The present Knuckles watching the vision as it faded away looked saddened by what he saw and looked down at his Magic Sword. He thought _after all we went through, I still was unable to break the curse over my race that changed them into Vampires. I'm coming for you, Julie, please hang in there. Wherever Mephilis had put you after he attacked us the first time on the island, trying to steal the Master Emerald, I will find you._


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Knuckles continued on with his search. As the vision cleared away, he saw someone lying on the rocky ground.

Becoming suspicious as to who it was, he crouched onto the ground and tapped the person. It was a woman about sixteen, and it seemed that she was also an Echidna.

He turned her onto her back, hoping to wake whoever it was and paused upon seeing her face. Even though it was covered in dirt and had a bruise on her forehead, she was Julie.

After all that time, he had finally found her. The Vampire pulled her into a hug as he whispered, "Julie, you're alright."

As he held onto her, she began to make a bit of sound. When he heard her breath, he opened his purple eyes and quickly looked.

She was starting to wake up in his arms. Holding her head, she groaned, "Oh, my head...I must have slipped and bumped my..." she froze when she saw him and finished with wide pinkish-purple eyes, "...head…"

She squinted her eyes, looking at him, "Knuckles?"

He quickly pulled her back into a hug, "Julie!"

She was shocked but quickly calmed down as she buried her head into his red fur that she fondly remembered, feeling safe.

He said, "When that guy Mephilis made you disappear, I did all I could to find him. I even left the island. It got so bad when it was taking so long that I thought that I would never see you again."

Seeing how upset he was, she touched his hand and held onto it saying, "Well, I'm here now. Come on, let's get out of this place. It has been a while since I had seen anything pleasant. It's always so gloomy in this world."

He smiled and wrapped an arm around her as he pulled her close, "Not to worry, Julie. Your wish will be granted soon enough once we get out of here."

Before she said anything, he lifted her and kissed her. All her worries disappeared as relief washed over her. Knuckles was there. Everything was alright.

He jumped out of the depressing world through the portal, holding onto her.

When they landed, he looked at Sally, saying, "Okay, Sally, it's probably a good time to use that blue jewel."

As Sally pulled it out of her pocket, Mephilis, who was still surrounded by Knuckles' friends, looked at the Echidna and asked, "What Jewel?"

Once the jewel was pulled out in Sally's fingertips, he saw what it was and said, "I helped you bring back your friend, Echidna. What is the meaning of this?"

Knuckles looked at him and said, "You were the one who had put her there in the first place, and I never said anything about not sealing you."

The villain growled, "This is not over. I will come back and will have my revenge."

After he was sucked into the gem, Sally blinked and stood up more saying, "That was easier than it looked."

She thought _and here I was thinking that I was going to mess something up. I always thought that magic spells need lots of practice._

Sonic smirked and said, "Way to go, Sally. I knew you could do it."

She smiled back and thought _after all this time, Sonic has improved so much. At first, he didn't like being around too many people, but now he is so supportive and even sweet to me. I never thought that I could get so lucky._

Three months later, that whole bit with Mephilis settled down.

Even though Shadow had no one to hunt, he still worked for GUN. He claimed that it was good pay, but people like Amy knew that he secretly enjoyed the idea of blowing things up with his new team.

His new team was made of Rouge and Omega, and like him, they packed a good punch. They all liked dark things, so the name Team Dark was seen coming by everyone.

Sonic even joked that they should make it more accurate and call themselves Team Gloom and Doom.

As for Amy, she continued her bakery business, which bloomed since she was able to sell many sweets. Sally still worked for her while Sonic decided to become Amy's new delivery boy.

Knuckles and Julie went to meet up with Mace, whose real name was unfortunately Kneecaps, and they also got to see Nightshade and Rouge. It was a happy family reunion, but after three days of catching up, they returned to the island.

Everything was so peaceful on the island, and everything was beautiful. Nothing could have made it more perfect than it was.

As the sun set, the couple sat at the shrine where the Master Emerald was actually hidden underground. Sitting there, Julie kissed Knuckles tenderly.

As she did that, the magic sword glowed, and Knuckles noticed that his fangs were disappearing. He looked down at his sword that still glowed, and Tikal appeared.

She smiled, looking at him and said, "You broke the curse on your race through using the sword for good."

He asked, "But I've always used it for good, and it has been over a hundred years. I've lost track of how long."

"But it was not always in your possession. Whenever someone used it to do bad, someone has to use it for good for twice the amount of time someone with a vile heart used it. I knew you were good so that's why I gave it to you."

"How long did someone do evil with it?"

"It was for a very long time. That evil magician who stole it to do wicked things had it for hundreds of years. His magic prevented him from aging. And now that the Vampire curse is over, your will be free from the darkness. As a reward, we will not only remember you, but you could keep your powers."

With that, she then faded away into a ball of light that vanished into the woods.

While they were up there, Sonic and Sally were sitting outside in Sally's backyard.

"So, Sonic," she said to get his attention.

He looked at her while lying on his back with a curious face, "Huh, what is it, Sally?"

"I was thinking," she hugged her legs as her chin rested on them, "I uh..." her fingers ran through her highlighted red hair, "that is if you want to..."

"Want to what?" he had no idea what she was trying to say.

She rubbed the back of her head as she accidently blurted out, "I think I love you!"

Right after she said that she covered her mouth and quickly covered it up, saying, "I mean I really like you…"

Sonic sat up and grabbed her arm, saying, "Don't change it, Sally. 'Cause I feel the same way."

"You do?"

"Hey, would I lie to you?"

"Uh…no, I don't think you would."

He pulled her close, "Then believe me when I tell you that I care about you that way."

Looking at him closely, she kissed him, feeling happier than she ever did her entire life. There they stayed, and there their lives were to change forever. Sally felt it, and in her heart, she knew that no matter what happened, they were always going to be safe.

The End

 **And that is the end of the story. Thanks for reading. It was really appreciated. Whenever I thought that I might not be a good writer, looking at a good comment from you amazing people encouraged me, and I definitely have to give thanks to Apexwolf77 for helping me get out of some of my writer's block (which I find to be one of the worst things to happen to any author).**

 **If anyone is interested, I have an author's account on Amazon Kindle, and I have a book called Stolen Away. It's the one about a cursed ring and a strong headed princess. I thought to mention that because there were a couple other stories with the same name. At least the site allows you to read the description.**

 **And don't worry. The story is guaranteed to be finished. ;D**


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